USA > Maryland > Frederick County > Emmitsburg > History of Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a prelude of historical facts of Frederick County, and a romance entitled Disappointed, or, The recluse of Huckle's feld > Part 1
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Gc 975.202 Em66h 1753478
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY L 3 1833 02167 307 1
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/historyofemmitsb00helm 0
HISTORY OF
EMMITSBURG, MARYLAND,
WITH A PRELUDE OF HISTORICAL FACTS OF FREDERICK COUNTY, AND A ROMANCE ENTITLED DISAPPOINTED, OR THE RECLUSE OF HUCKLE'S FIELD.
BY JAMES A. HELMAN, 1906.
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69.403
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1753478
TO THE PUBLIC.
T' HIS book makes no pretention to be classical.
It merely tells the time, circumstances and people connected with this community, in which all are in- terested. . It starts with the 'earliest records regardless of personality or religion, as far back as 1734 accurately, and follows these people as they cut the forest and till the soil, build towns, make laws, and pass away. No personal his- tory is named save the Emmit family as a whole, this is due the founder of the town. All the churches are histor- ically spoken of, so far as the information could be ob- tained. Let none feel slighted if their name is not in the book .. The enterprises from 1785 to the present are in full. Some of the olden tombstones are copied, to show the place of burial of the early settlers. Receive the book for just what it claims for itself, nothing more.
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TO TO write the history of the world, we commence at Adam. To write the history of the United States, we begin at its discovery by Columbus and the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. But to write a history of a state, county, or community, we are perplexed with various traditions that confront us, therefore we ask, who were the early settlers, and where did they come from, what induced them to settle where they did and the results? Who were the people? the pioneers that settled in Frederick County, Maryland. They were Germans, the all-important factor in the development of this county. They brought indus- try, art, intelligence, perseverance. They brought school masters, who instilled into the children the principles of christianity; they turned the wilderness of Frederick County from 1735 to a productive land; that it still holds the honor of being the most productive wheat growing county, not only in the State, but in the United States. This honor was awarded Frederick County in 1790. It still holds it.
The first German settlers in Maryland were amongst the Dutch and French Labodists, on Bohemia Manor, Cecil, then Baltimore County, in 1661. This settlement was prior to the coming of William Penn's Gerinan Quakers, 1720. They scattered and mixed amongst the other settle- ments in Maryland and Delaware. Daniel Partorious in 1684.founded Germantown. For many years Germantown was the rendezvous of German refugees fleeing from perse- cution, which devestated portions of Germany. From Germantown, this centre of emigration, they spread over Southern Pennsylvania to Lancaster, York and Adams County. Many of these finding their way into Maryland
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and Virginia. In 1714 twelve German families of fifty persons settled on the Rappahanock river, Va., near Frede- ricksburg. Others followed in 1730. Some had crossed the mountains into Shenandoah and Rockingham counties. These in turn were reinforced by Germans from the Penn- sylvania settlements. By 1743 there were a number of flourishing German settlements in the Valley of Virginia. In 1748, when George Washington surveyed the lands of Virginia, he met men, women and children who followed him through the woods, who spoke German only.
These Virginia settlements were in regular communica- tion with the settlements in Pennsylvania. We now have grounds to base the people and their nationality upon.
The reports of good land naturally enthused the new emigrants, and they were induced to follow on the trail the early pioneers had taken. The route of travel from Germantown to Lancaster on to the Virginia settlements was over an old Indian trail, for pack horse travel and mis- sionaries, extending through York and Adams county, Pa., into Maryland, stopping at a point on the Monocacy river, where in 1734 they erected the first church in the county. From here they pushed on to the Potomac, crossing the Blue South Mountains through Crampton's Gap. On this route in 1729 the first German families drifted into Mary- land. One report says as early as 1710 or 1712. They settled near Monocacy, and between 1732 and 1734 built the first German church in Maryland. It was situated on west side of the river, ten miles above where Frederick- town was laid out. Within fifty years, the recollections by a few, of the spot, could still be pointed out and indications of the burying place of these pioneers. Sad to relate, all evidence has been destroyed by the hungry and heartless seeker after gold, and that which would be as Plymouth Rock to the Germans has passed into tradition more than history. In 1739, by order of the Lancaster County Court, a road was built from Wright's Ferry (Wrightsville) to the Maryland line, a distance of thirty-five miles, and thence by an act of the Maryland Assembly, it was continued to
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the Potomac river. This road followed substantially the old Indian trail, and for many years was known as Monoc- acy road. It was on this great highway from east to south and southwest, over which in 1755, 150 wagons and 200 pack horses, secured in Pennsylvania by Benjamin Frank- lin, the first Postmaster General, transported their goods to Camp Frederick, where a part of the army was collected preparatory to the campaign of Braddock. It is said at this camp Washington and Franklin met for the first time. This was the route the British prisoners, captured during the Revolutionary war, were taken to the barracks at Frederick- town and Winchester, Va .; also the route used by General Wayne with his 900 patriots on the way to Yorktown.
In 1732 Lord Fairfax made an effort to direct German emigration to Virginia. The Governor ceded a tract of 25,000 acres to John Hite, a Gerinan, and Jacob Van Meeter, a Dutchman, on condition they would settle 200 German families on these lands. Hite and Van Meeter traveled through Pennsylvania and New Jersey in search of Ger- mans, and directed them by the Monocacy road to Virginia. Lord Baltimore, not to be outdone by the Governor of Virginia, in 1732 offered 200 acres of land in fee, subject to a rent of four shillings sterling per year, payable at the end of three years, for every 100 acres, to any person having a family, who would within three years actually settle on the lands between the river Monocacy and the Susquehanna, and to each single person between the ages of fifteen and thirty years, one hundred acres. On same terms, with as- surance, these shall be as well secured in their liberty and property in Maryland as in any part of the British planta- tions in America, without exception.
LATE INFORMATION OF MONOCACY SETTLEMENT.
It was a short distance southeast of Creagerstown. The river crossing was at Poe's fording, which has not been used for over a century.
There are other and earlier references to this place. As early as 1729 Charles Carroll, the elder, located a tract of
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10,000 acres of land on Pipe creek, Conawago and Cadorus creeks, lying in York and Adams County, Pa., all claimed by the Maryland authorities to be in this province. In 1732 Mr. Carroll in company with Mr. Ross visited these lands to informn themselves how to finish a survey. He re- fers in his complaint to a certain John Tradane, a Mary- lander, and a resident of Monochasie.
In Kerchivol's history of the settlement in Virginia Val- ley, it is stated that among the early settlers there was Benjamin Allen, Riley Moore and William White, who had come from Monocacy, in Maryland, in 1734. These facts show that as early as 1732 and 1734 Monocacy was a place of some prominence. Although it never reached the dignity of a town, it would seem that as late as 1747 it pos- sessed better accommodations for strangers than did Fred- ericktown. On neither visits did Schlatter and Muhlen- burg to Frederick induce them to remain over night; they returned to Monocacy. It was such a village as one sees today in sparsely settled countries, containing perhaps a public house, a store, a few dwellings and church nearby, where the people for miles congregate.
The Conewaga settlement first mentioned was near Han- over. A Lutheran church was organized May, 1743, by Rev. David Chandler of York, who in the same year, 1743, organized the Lutheran church at Monocacy, and served till his death the following year, when Rev. Lars Nyburg became the pastor of both congregations.
The site of the log meeting house at Conewago, where Mr. Schlatter preached in May, 1747, is now covered by Christ's German Reformed church, a short distance from Littlestown, at the time Mr. Schley (the ancestor of Com- inodore Winfield Scott Schley) was schoolmaster at Fred- erick and Monocacy to the Reforms. Mr. Otto Rudolph Crecelius was acting in same capacity for the Lutheran at the same places.
In 1781 an act of Congress directed that the British pris- oners confined at the barracks in Frederick and Winchester should be removed to York, Pa., from fear of rescue by
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Cornwallis. Twenty acres of wood land was cleared and cultivated by the prisoners. Huts, mostly of stone, were erected and surmounted by a picket fence fifteen feet high. Whilst there a plague broke out amongst them-a thousand prisoners died.
The first settlement in York County was on Kratz creek where Hanover now stands; before that Lancaster County. In 1729 people resided on tract of land, on west side of Sus- quehanna, within the bounds of York County. These per- sons remained however but a short time on land, on which they had squatted. They were known as Maryland squat- ters, and were removed the latter part of 1728 by order of Deputy Governor of Council, at the request of the Indians.
In 1722 warrants were issued for a survey of a manor to Lord Baltimore. John Diggs, a resident of Prince George County, Md., obtained a warrant for 10,000 acres, known. as Diggs' Chance, in the neighborhood of the present Han- over. Maryland at this time claimed the land to the Sus- quehanna.
1727 and 1729 are the earliest dates Maryland patents are known. 1746 the earliest I can find for this immediate vi- cinity to George Smith, Cattail Branch, west.
The earliest settlers under Maryland grants and leases, along the Susquehanna, were Irish and Scotch, but these were soon followed by large numbers of Germans, who for the most part settled on Kratz creek. In 1729 the Penn- sylvania authorities issued warrants for land on the west side of Susquehanna, and tock measures to resist by force the attempt of Marylanders to survey and grant warrants for land in this section. This brought on a conflict. For years great disorder prevailed, resulting in bloodshed at times.
By an act of 1748 creating Frederick County, the con- missioners appointed were authorized to purchase three acres of land in or near Fredericktown whereon to erect a court house and prison, they purchased from Mr. Dulaney in Frederick six lots, numbered 73 to 78, 62 feet by 379 from Church street to Second. Price paid eighteen pounds.
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Work was commenced at once. It was nearly completed when the French and Indian war broke out, which caused the work to cease; it was not completed till 1756. It was one and a-half stories high-wood. It stood until 1785 when a new one was erected, after the court house in Dub- lin, Ireland. It stood until 1861 when it was destroyed by fire. The first jail, a rude structure, stood near the resi- dence of Mr. Ross, the whipping post on the southeast cor- ner of lot opposite present Central National Bank. Before the first court house was erected court was held in the log church of the German Reformed congregation on Patrick street; they were also held for a time at Mrs. Charlton's tavern southwest corner Market and Patrick streets.
A memorial of the case of the German emigrants settled in the British colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir- ginia, published in London, 1754.
"By the most authentic accounts, for many years last past very large numbers of Germans have transported them- selves into these British provinces of North America, the greatest part of them from Switzerland and the Palatinate, many from Wurtemburg and other places along the Rhine. Some few lately from lower Saxony, above thirty thousand, within the last ten years, and in 1750 imore than ten thousand.
"The cause of their removal from their native countries were various. Some of them fled from the severe persecu- tion they were exposed to, at home, on account of their religion, others from the oppressions of civil tyranny, and attracted by the pleasing hopes of liberty under the milder influence of the British government, others were drawn by the solicitations of their countrymen, who had settled there before them. But for the greatest part, by the prospects they had of retrieving themselves under their deep poverty, and providing better for themselves and their families in the provinces to which they respectively retired."
These men were mostly trained mechanics, masons, car- penters, vine dressers, hatters, bakers, shoemakers, tailors, butchers, blacksmiths, millers, tanners, weavers, coopers,
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saddlers, potters, tinners, brick makers. With such a force newly installed in the colonies, nothing but progress was to be thought of; and adding the agricultural trend of these people, the timbers fell, and houses were erected, the land tilled, and plenty was the reward, with peace reigning in every locality.
The Germans on their way from Pennsylvania to Vir- ginia seeing the rich lands of Frederick County, Md., offered them on such terms, a rental of one cent an acre per annum, did not proceed further. In a few years the prosperity of these people was an assured thing, and the Monocacy set- tlement was the result. From then they spread out west and south. The church at Monococy for years was their meeting place. What a halo of German thought concen- trated here. New comers were received with open arms. News from the fatherland eagerly sought, then the social life unfettered by officials.
They were Reformned and Lutheran, scattered for miles in the county, including the settlement at Fredericktown, all worshiping in this log church, until the congregation determined to move to Fredericktown in 1745.
We can now with assurance state from where the early settlers came.
The earliest patents on the records are 1746, although many of these pioneers took possession of land and entered it in the clerk's land office at Annapolis, they did not re- ceive their patents for some time. Jonathan Hays and Dulaney came from Philadelphia in 1730 and entered land. Hays the farm now W. Moser's, there he died, and is buried on the farmn.
The Biggs land was entered at same time. Mr. Hays found vacant land between him and Benjamin Biggs. He made arrangements to ride to Annapolis on a certain day and enter up this vacant strip. Biggs started a day ahead and entered the vacant land, it has been called Benjamin's Good Luck ever since. Johathan Hays is the ancestor of the Hays family here. The first patent on record in this vicinity is to George Smith, March 21st, 1746, for 500 acres,
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now the land of Oliler, Eckard, Hockensmith and others. He was born 1720, died 1793. The survey is called Cattail Branch. He was the father of eleven children, four boys and seven girls. His son John was sergeant in Capt. Wm. Blair's Game Cock Company in the Revolutionary war. He had two sons-in-law in the same company, John Crabbs, corporal, and Jacob Hockensmith, ensign. George Sheets settled where Sells' mill stands and built a mill. His son Jacob joined Washington when he passed through Taney- town; he returned safe. Conducting a mill till his death, he is buried in Lutheran cemetery in Taneytown. All the Sheets families east of town are his descendants. David Danner settled at Bridgeport, where Correll lived. He is the head of the Danner family. His tomb is the oldest in the community, 1768. George Hockensmithi settled on the Albert Maxell farm, embracing the lands of D. S. Gillelan, Row and Samuel Ohler, a large tract; he is the ancestor of that name here. George Row settled on the land 110W Zimmerman's; he left a large family; all the Row connec- tions descend from him. His son Arthur was a corporal in Blair's Game Cock Company. Arthur lived and died on the farin now owned by Jolin Allison.
Sluss settled on the farm now Hawk's. The foregoing as well as the Crabbs, Ohlers, Nickumes and others in that locality are supposed to have come together in 1746. In the year 1757 another company arrived. Amongst this Zacharias, who took out a patent in 1757; Christian Keefer; also Diggs' survey. Samuel Emmit took out a patent for 2,250 acres May 17th, 1757. William Shields came at same time. Emmit's lands extended from Middle creek, follow- ing Tom's creek to Friend's creek, then north into Penn- sylvania and east, making near four miles square, including Carroll's tract. The McDivitt mill derived its name, Car- roll mill, this way.
William Shields, Samuel Carrack and Lilly had taken up a large tract. In the division Carrack got west of Tom's creek, including the Knob thereby getting its name Carrack's Knob. Shields in the division got land further
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west; he is buried on part of his land back of G. Grinder's house Lilly elsewhere.
On May 27th, 1777, Christian Keefer sold to Peter Troxell of LeHigh County, Pennsylvania, 479 acres for 2,500 pounds, in cash sterling (his father coming to the colonies in 1733), the present lands of Charles Keilholtz, J. W. Troxell and others; Mathias Martin, son-in-law of Peter Troxell, bought at the same time, 1777, the farm now Samuel Troxell's. James Martin, N. C. Stanbury, John Troxell, son of Peter, at same time, 1777, the lands of Charles McCarren and Welty. He built a mill in 1777 or 1779.
In Pennsylvania the early settlers were Cochrans, Over- holtzers, Bakers, Zimmermans, Bollingers, Clarks, Patter- sons, Eikers, Bighams, Weikends, Browns, Stevensons. These pioneers were influenced by the inducement offered by Virginia and Maryland. In 1746 Rev. M. Schlatter was sent by the Reformed church of Holland as a mission- ary to the Duch Reformed church of Frederick County, Maryland.
In 1746 a number of Moravians settled at Graceham, where they have sustained a church ever since, the only one in the State. These settlers came in colonies, fre- quently from the same provinces in Germany. Would locate near a stream, or build near a spring; their accom- modations were limited to overhanging trees, a covered wagon, or tent, until a log house could be erected. Somne of the early residences in this locality are still remembered by the older persons living. The hardships of the eastern emigrants along the rock-bound coast was not greater than in this county. The winters were long and cold, the com- forts few; Indians roamed these hills and valleys, the many streams in this locality were a fascination for them, and hard to part with as the incomers encroached upon them. The tribe was the Susquehannahis, a warlike tribe. The last camp fire, tradition tells us, was on the Gilson farmi, where they had a burial place. When the tribe departed they liad an old blind and sick chief, too sick to go with
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the tribe. A young buck was instructed to remain with him until he died, bury him, then follow after. After they had gone one day he killed the old man, buried him, and followed on after the tribe. Few families bearing the names of the early settlers remain. In the lists attached to each cemetery will be given the earlier interments, save those whose graves are not marked.
The earliest authentic is that of William Elder and wife who came from St. Mary's County in 1739, settling where Zentz now lives. His wife died the same year. Having no lumber to construct a coffin, they hollowed out a log, which was used instead. Some years after he removed to the farm known as Clairvoux, taking his wife's remains with him, burying her on the farm, where her tombstone can be seen today, although Bishop Elder erected a new one lately.
Krise first settled where Baltimore street now is in Bal- timore; he did not like a sand farm and left, going to Rocky Ridge; settling on the farm now owned by Barrick. His son, who married Elizabeth Troxell, took up the land owned by E. F. Krise. The land called Brotherly Love was patented by Jonothan Hays in 1757, now owned by W. Moser. The land owned by C. T. Zacharias, called Mon- dolar and Single Delight, Peter Troxell's as Diggs' Lot, and Benjamin's Good Luck; the Shields' tract as Caroline, Sugar Camp, Walnut Bottom; George Row's tract, French Purchase.
The land north of town called Dothan's Chance, east as Silver Fancy, south as Buck's Forrest.
The survey of Mason and Dixon's line commenced De- cember 7th, 1763, finished January 9th. 1768.
The following is the line from Monocacy to Friend's creek 1765, August 26, at Monocacy, 73 miles 58 chains; cross Marsh creek, Mckinley's house, So miles 21 chains; 77 stone falling in Marsh creek 125 yards of true place, 82 miles 66 chains, Mathew Elder's house 52 chains south; August 29, 84 miles 41 chains, cross Flat run; S5/miles, James Stevenson's house; 86 miles, William Bowers's house;
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86 miles cross Tom's creek at foot of South Mountain; 86 miles, 76 chains, Phineas Davidson's house; 87 miles 76 chains cross Friends' creek, South Mountain; 88 miles, Jolın Cohorn's house.
Whilst the French and Indian war was in progress, re- cruiting officers went into the harvest field, took two men from along Monocacy, and both men were killed in Brad- dock's defeat. During one of the Indian raids through this section Alexander McKeseay, near Emmitsburg, was stand- ing in his door, was shot and killed. A Mr. William House in this county was attacked and twelve of his family were killed.
After the defeat of Braddock many bands of Indians roamed over the western part of Maryland, penetrating quiet settlements and alarming the people, they fleeing by night, some to Frederick others to Fort Cumberland. In 1756 Washington said but two families in the whole settle- ment of Conecocheague, Md., remained. This year Wash- ington advised the people between Conecocheague and Fredericktown to assemble, which they did. With Col. Cresup at the head of one hundred men of courage, known as the Red Caps, they overthrew the Indians and killed some of them. All along the Monocacy the people fled, fearing the red skins. Armed citizens drove the Indians out. The trials of that age can only be imagined, the re- alities were shocking, any catastrophe could be expected; the people lived in hourly dread, not knowing when they would be murdered or carried away as captives. The fore- going and the following is told to impress the perilous and uncertain crisis through which the colonies were passing, for it was in the beginning of the formative period.
At this time the Stamp Act was causing the people to 1
rebel. It was as much hated as were the Indians. The same brave men who punished the Indians now assembled to resist the Stamp Act.
At Annapolis, Md., a merchant of that town, Zacharias Hood, brought with him from England a cargo of goods. together with the obnoxious stamps. When he arrived at
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Annapolis the fermeut reached its height. The people gath- ered_in crowds at the dock and an outbreak ensued, in which one of the number had his leg broken. Hood was compelled to draw off from the shore and land elsewhere.
The effigy of a stamp distributor was mounted on a one- horse cart, with sheet of paper in his hands, and paraded through the streets amid execrations of the crowd, while bells tolled a solemn knell, the procession marching to the hill, tied the effigy to the whipping post, and bestowed upon it thirty-nine lashes, which the crowd humorously called giving the Mosaic law to the Stamp Act. It was then hung upon a gibbet erected for the purpose, a tar barrel placed under it, and set on fire. It ignited and fell into the blaze and was consumed. Similar was the exhi- bition at Baltimore and Fredericktown. Hood's punish- ment did not stop with his degredation. No one would buy his goods. The populace threatened to tear down his house. At last they threatened him with personal ven- geance; he fled from the province. Did not stop until he reached New York; the people determined no stamp officer should escape; he was seized and given the alternative of resigning his office or being conducted back to Maryland; he yielded and was set at liberty.
While the two Houses at Annapolis were disputing whether they would pay the claims of all equally deserving, whose demands had been included in the bill, the lower House agreed to all but the clerks of the council, and re- fused to separate the journal. In the meantime all claims were postponed. The people in the western part of the State were interested, and there the deepest feeling was aroused. At Fredericktown they gathered in force, 400 men armed, with rifles and tomahawks, proceeded to declare their intention to march to Annapolis and settle the dispute between them. It was an exciting time in the colonies. The spirit of 1776 was in the people, although that time had not arrived.
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