For  many  years  it  was  an  agricultural  ham-
let, and  it  was  not  until  after  the  railroad
was  completed  that  it  developed  signs  of
progress.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  borough
August  15th,  1867.     Population,  2025.
PoMEROY,  forty-two  miles. — A  mill  for
the  manufacture  of  cotton  yarn,  and  three
grist-mills,  are  located  here.  Good  ac-
commodations are  furnished  for  summer
boarders.  (Junction  of  Pennsylvania  and
Delaware  Railroad  to  Delaware  City,  on
Delaware  bay,  distance  thirty-eight  miles.)

Parkesburg,  forty-three  and  one-half
miles. — This  town  owes  its  existence  to  the
old  Columbia  Railroad,  for  it  was  here  that
the  State  built  her  machine-shops  when  that
work  was  constructed,  and  here  the  principal
officers  of  the  road  were  located.  The  site
was  probably  selected  because  of  its  position
midway  on  the  line,  and  for  twenty  years  it
prospered  as  a  centre  of  railroad  industry
and  management.  But  when  the  State  sold
the    Columbia    Railroad,     the    Parkesburg


shops  were  abandoned  and  remained  idle,
showing  the  marks  of  decay,  until  a  recent
period,  when  they  were  put  in  operation
as  a  rolling-mill,  and  now  fifty  men  are
employed  in  them.  There  are  a  steam  flour-
mill  and  a  carriage  manufactory  here,  and
some  minor  industries  are  carried  on.  The
town  contains  a  good  hotel,  a  banking  house,
a  public  hall,  an  academy,  and  five  churches.
A  stage  line  runs  daily  from  this  place  to
Oxford,  distant  fifteen  miles.  Population
about  600.
Penningtonville,  forty-six  and  one-half
miles,  is  an  active  village,  doing  consider-
able business.  Iron  ore  is  mined  about  six
miles  distant  and  shipped  in  considerable
quantities.  The  village  contains  a  good
hotel,  an  excellent  school,  a  public  hall,  and
three  churches.  A  stage  runs  three  times
per  week  from  here  to  Oxford,  distance  fif-
teen miles.
