by Laura Klotz, MarkerQuest Blog edited to fit magazine by CMVB Staff
Finding the Stories Behind the Signs
Part IV
One woman’s quest to photograph and research all of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's historical markers recently brought her back to Columbia & Montour Counties. NOTE: Parts I thru III of Laura’s explorations were documented in previous magazine editions, which you can read by clicking here.
some discrepancy about the precise origin of the name. Some sources claim that it was named for Andrew Montour, a mixed race interpreter during the colonial era; he was of Oneida and Algonquin Native American heritage, though he also had a French grandfather. He spoke at least five different languages, including three Native tongues, and served as an interpreter for both Conrad Weiser and Count Zinzendorf during their var- ious expeditions. One of his sons later fought in the American Revolution.
I’ve lived in eastern Pennsylvania for over forty years, which is the closest I’m going to get to telling you how old I am. My maternal grandfather’s family has lived in Lehigh and Northampton Counties since before the American Revolution, and the various branches of my family tree are tied to the commonwealth’s history in a lot of different ways. I’ve been fascinated with these blue and gold markers since I was a kid, but when you’re driving past them, you don’t often really have the chance to read what they say. I always thought that was unfortunate since they seemed interesting, and as an adult, I’ve occasion- ally wondered if most people pay attention to them at all. I decided that this project would be a fun way to make sure that at least a few more people get to know about them and the information they contain. So, with the blessing of the Pennsylvania Historical and Muse- um Commission (the people who have been putting the signs up for over a hundred years), I launched this blog. Because I’m a very well-rounded sort of nerd, I decided to treat it like one of the collection quests in my video games, and this is my quest log. Montour County Montour County has the distinction of being the small- est county (by area) in all of Pennsylvania. It measures just 132 square miles, two of which consist entirely of water. Unlike some of our other counties, its name is unique throughout the United States, although there’s
The marker is in front of the Montour County Courthouse at 253 Mill Street, Danville.
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