BIO: Dr. John COLHOUN, Chambersburg, Franklin County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/franklin/
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Medical Men of Franklin County, 1750-1925 by Ambrose Watts Thrush, M.D.;
Chambersburg, Pa.; Medical Society of Franklin County, Page 56 
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DR. JOHN COLHOUN

1740 – 1782

The town of Chambersburg was laid out in the year 1764, or certainly not later 
than 1765, Dr. John Colhoun located here and began the practice of medicine.  He 
was born in the valley and was a gentleman of culture and had been regularly 
instructed in the science of medicine and was the first physician to locate in 
Chambersburg.

Dr. Colhoun married Rhuhammah Chambers, a daughter of Col. Benjamin Chambers, 
the founder of the town, and lived on the northeast corner of Main and King 
Streets, where the present post office building is now located.  He was an 
earnest patriot and held many positions of trust during the Revolutionary War.

In 1782 he began building the stone mansion north of the Falling Spring Church, 
now owned and occupied by Mr. Chambers Mehaffey.  Dr. Colhoun died during this 
same year and the house was completed and occupied by his widow until her death.  
Col. Benjamin Chambers, while on a visit with his daughter, died in this house 
on February 17, 1788, aged about 80 years.

About the year 1780 Dr. John Colhoun built in Chambersburg the first paper mill 
that was established in Pennsylvania west of the Susquehanna River.  This was a 
long, low weatherboarded building, painted red and stood precisely where the 
Woolen Mill now stands.  It was removed in 1832 to make room for the large mill 
erected in that year on the same site.  In this old mill paper was manufactured 
from rags by the old hand process generally used before the introduction of 
modern machinery.  Its production of printing paper was large for that day and 
had an extensive sale both east and west.  Previous to the year 1796 the whole 
western country as far as the State of Kentucky was supplied with printing paper 
made in Chambersburg.  The Pittsburgh Gazette for many years after its 
foundation in 1786 was printed on paper made in this old mill, which was 
transported to the office on pack horses.