It  occupies  an  elevated  position  on  the
dividing  ridge  between  the  Atlantic  coast
and  the  Mississippi  valley, — the  waters  of  the
county  draining  into  both  the  Susquehanna
and  Allegheny  rivers.  The  soil  generally  is
susceptible  of  cultivation,  but  is  not  rich;
and  the  surface  of  the  county  is  densely
overgrown  with  hemlock  timber,  which,  in
late  years,  has  been  extensively  utilized  in
tanning  leather  and  for  lumber.  This  forest
growth  will  undoubtedly  prove  a  great  source
of  wealth  to  Elk  and  the  adjacent  counties
in  the  near  future,  as  the  rapid  consumption
and  consequent  exhaustion  of  pine  timber
must  bring  it  into  demand  for  many  pur-
poses. The  county  took  its  name  from  a
mountain  in  its  southern  portion,  which  had
received  the  title  because  of  the  number  of
elks  roaming  in  the  region  at  the  com-
mencement of  the  present  century.  These
noble  animals,  as  well  as  beavers,  were
found  near  the  head- waters  of  Bennett's
Branch,  as  late  as  1830,  and  the  last  of  them
seen  in  Pennsylvania  were  here.  The  first
settlements  were  made  in  the  territory  em-
braced in  the  county  about  1820.  In  1842
a  German  Catholic  colony  was  established
on  a  tract  of  thirty-five  thousand  acres  of
land,  purchased  from  the  United  States  Land
Company,  and  increased  rajjidly  for  some
years.      Population,  8488.     Value  of  agri-


cultural productions,  $407,047.  Number  of
manufacturing  establishments,  81 ;  hands
employed,  661 ;  wages  paid,  $217,388;  capi-
tal invested,  $1,070,000;  materials  used,
$921,679;  value  of  products,  $1,524,392.
Number  of  bituminous  coal  mines,  2  ;  hands
employed,  142;  wages  paid,  $78,920;  capi-
tal invested,  $366,000;  tons  mined,  78,779;
value,  $136,068.
