By Bob Imhof
Ridgway Township (originally Pine Creek Township) was a part of Jefferson County with Brookville, the County Seat, forty miles distant. This distance entailed a burden on the people to transact their business. ln 1835, initial efforts were made to form a separate County. Hostility from surrounding Counties had to be overcome. These Counties were sparsely populated, and each County was very jealous of its territory, and desired to retain all its taxpayers. There was much opposition on the part of the taxpayers of the proposed new County on account of the additional taxation that would be incurred in the erection and equipment of the new County buildings.
The first bill introduced into the State Legislature providing for the erection of the County was defeated by the opposition of the people from which the new County was to be taken. This was probably an Act introduced into the State Senate on February 8, l837, to erect the “County of Ridgway.” Several other bills met the same influences. Finally, the Honorable James Lyle Gillis of Ridgway was elected to the State Legislature in 1840, where he served three years, and one term in the Senate. He was successful in having a bill passed on April 18, 1843 establishing Elk County. Governor David Porter signed the birth certificate. The new County was formed from parts of Clearfield, Jefferson, and McKean Counties. For this contribution to our County, the Honorable James Lyle Gillis is considered the “Patriarch of Elk County.”
Timothy lves, Jr. of Potter County, James W. Guthrie of Clarion County, and Zachariah H. Eddy of Warren County were appointed commissioners to mark the boundary lines, and perform such other duties as was delegated to them until the new County could elect Commissioners duly qualified lo conduct the County’s business.
The evolution of Elk County’s borders is interesting. When the County was organized, the enabling act provided for seven straight boundaries, and these are shown in the outline map of 1850:
“Beginning at the northeast corner of Jefferson County in Ridgway Township, thence East nine miles to the northeast corner of Lot 2328,thence South to Clearfield County, thence East along that line to the East line of Gibson Township (now Cameron County) and south so far that a line westward to the mouth of Mead’s Run (Brockport) shall pass within not less than fifteen miles of the town of Clearfield; thence westwardly to Little Toby Creek; thence along a line to the mouth of Mead’s Run, and northwesterly to where the west line of Ridgway Township crosses the Clarion River; thence in the same direction to a point where a due north line will strike the southwest corner of McKean County, and along such line to that corner, thence along the south line of McKean County to the northeast corner of Jefferson County.”
Within twenty-nine years the County’s outline map assumed its present shape. Apparently the three Commissioners did not make an accurate survey of the borders because a new survey was approved in 1855 for marking the boundaries.
It was probably at that time that Elk County lost a piece of her northeastern corner to McKean County. In 1843, it was stipulated that the northern boundary should terminate in the southwest corner of Warrant No. 2328. This warrant and its neighbor to the West, No. 2314, were not in line with the other warrants beyond them, These warrants are near Wellendorf Station on the divide between Straight Creek and Elk Fork (along the P,S and N Railroad Grade) . When the surveyors in 1855 followed the earlier warrant lines eastward from Williamsville they were unable to continue in a straight line without dividing two warrants between the two counties. They apparently reconciled the western and southern boundaries of these irregular warrants for the County line. Upon reaching the southeastern corner of Warrant No. 3428, as the Act of 1843 described, they ran a straight line south along on what is now the Cameron County border.
The next changes come with the detachment of Gibson and Shippen Townships on March 29, 1860, which assisted in the formol erection of Cameron County. Part of Fox Township in Clearfield County was annexed by Elk County in 1868, at the same time Jefferson County received the western portion of this same area. The part obtained by Elk County was added lo Horton Township. Three years later in 1871 Elk County obtained four more warrants and part of another one from Clearfield County. This acquisition was situated on top of Boone’s Mountain, and was then occupied by several farming families.
Elk County’s next addition was Millstone Township. When Forest County was enlarged, and the County Seat moved from Marienville in 1867 to Tionesta considerable dissatisfaction was displayed by landowners and settlers in Millstone Township. Finally, they succeeded in joining Elk County on March 9, 1870. It is difficult to comprehend the confusion that exists over this act because the wording of the law is clear: “That the territory now comprising the Township of Millstone in the County of Forest shall be annexed to the County of Elk.” Possibly some misunderstanding arose when a bygone writer meant to say that Millstone Township was organized in 1857 while still a part of Forest County. Finally, in 1872 the State Legislature decided that the more westerly of the two lines which were surveyed by E. P. Goff, should be the legal boundary. To the present day a controversy remains concerning the correct boundary lines between Jefferson and Elk Counties. A “No Man’s Land” exists in this area. Some years ago, this boundary controversy was the cause of a court case involving gas rights.
The first election for Elk County Offices was held on October 10, 1843, and the results were as follows: County Commissioners, John Brooks, Chauncey Brockway, Sr., and Reuben Winslow; Coroner, James Mix, Sheriff, Eusebius Kincaid; Prothonotary, W. J. B. Andrews. The new County Commissioners appointed B. Rush Petrikin as Clerk and David Wheeler as Treasurer. ln May 1844, Leonard Morey was appointed Commissioner’s Clerk.
