SUSQUEHANNA, county of Pennsylvania, bounded on the E. by Wayne county, of the same state, S. by Luzerne, W. by Bradford, and N. by Broome county of the state of New York. Great est length from east to west, 35, width, 26, and area, 875 square miles. This county extends in lat. from 41° 40' to 42' N. and in long. from 0° 50' to 1° 32' E. from the meridian of Washington City.
This county occupies a curious physical section. The main volume of the Unadilla, or eastern con stituent of Susquehanna, curving with the Coquaso branch of Delaware, sweeps to the east of south from Broome county, of New-York, into Susquehanna county, of Pennsylvania. In the latter, the stream is turned by one of the low ridges of the Appala chian system, and bending at more than a right an gle, follows northward by comparative courses about ten miles, and again enters Broome county, but gradually winding in an elliptic curve, the Sus quehanna, after a comparative course of upwards of eighty miles in Broome and Otsego counties, of New York, and Bradford of Pennsylvania, approaches the SW. angle of the Schuylkill to within one mile.
It is evident from such relative position that Sehuylkill county occupies a plateau, or table land. The surface is very broken by hills, and towards the eastern and southeastern sides by mountains. The central part is elevated, and the watercourses having their sources on these high vallies, flow rap idly in deep channels, and diverge like radii from a common centre.
The southeastern angle is in the valley between the Lackawannoc and Tunkhannoc mountains, and gives source to the Lackawaxen branch of Dela ware, and the Lackawannoc of Luzerne county, en tering the Susquehanna in the valley of Wyoming. The sources of the two latter streams are separa ted from those of the Tunkhannoc by Tunkhannoc mountain.
Tunkhannoc rises in Schuylkill, and within four miles from the Susquehanna at the Great Bend in the northern part of the county, but flows SW. over Schuylkill county, and entering Luzerue falls into the main volume of the Susquehanna, if the general curve is only regarded, about one hundred miles below the Great Bend. Westward again from the Tunkhannoc, rise and flow southwest wardly into Susquehanna, the Misshopper and some smaller creeks. The western part of the county
is chiefly drained by the higher creeks of the Wya byssing. The latter rises near Montrose, and near the centre of the county, and flowing to the west ward enters Bradford and there bends to the south of SW. and falls into the Susquehanna nearly opposite the Wyabissing hills.
To the water courses already noticed as having their origin in Schuylkill county and flowing to the south and west, are opposed another series of creeks flowing northward also into Susquehanna, but into the eastern branch. Advancing from cast to west, the latter creeks are in order, Starucoa, Conewanta, Salt Lick, Snake, Choconut, and Apol locan.
Taken as a whole this really fine county and physical section is divided by nature into two une qual declivities, the larger falling southward towards the main colume of Susquehanna, and the other in an opposite direction towards the eastern branch.
The soil of this county is generally good. Su gar maple abounds in the vallies and on the slopes of the hills. If any particular species of timber prevails in quantity, it is the hemlock, which here grows in abundance and to an enormous size. Oak, hickory, beach, ash, Ste. are plentiful.
The rapid increase of population shows the value of the soil of Schuylkill county. In 1820 the inhabitants amounted to 9960, and in 1830, to 16,677, or at a rate exceeding 67 per cent in crease.
By the post list of 1831, beside at Montrose, the seat of justice, there were in this county twenty two post offices, namely at Birchardsville, Brook lyn, Choconut, Dimocksville, Dundoff, Ellerslice, Fairdale, Friendsville, Gibson, Great Bend, Hare wood, Harford, Jackson, Lanesborough, Lawsville, Lawsville Centre, Lenox, New Milford, Rushville, Silver Lake, Springville and Springville Four Corners.
Montrose, the county town, is situated near the centre of the county, and on one of the higher sources of Wyabussing creek, by post road, 49 miles N. from Wilkesbarre; 163 NNE. from Har risburg, and by the route of Wilkesbarre, 150 miles NNW. from Philadelphia. It is a very neat village, situated on an elevated and pleasant site, and, with several handsome private buildings, con tains the usual edifices belonging to a county seat. DARBY.