USA > Maryland > Washington County > Leitersburg > History of Leitersburg District, Washington County, Md.: Including Its Original Land Tenure. > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
The public road from Martin's school house to Welty's church, which constitutes the eastern line of Leitersburg District for some distance, was surveyed by John Oswald, September 13, 1852, "upon or near the old road now in use by the neighborhood." The examiners were David Oswald, Jeremiah S. Besore, and Elijah Bishop. This road was confirmed in 1853 with a width of twenty- five feet.
The public road that forms the eastern boundary of the District from the Ringgold road to Charles's mill was surveyed by John Oswald, November 15, 1853. The examiners were Frederick Bell, Peter Bell, and George Kessinger. The authorized width of this road is twenty feet.
From the Smithsburg road near Bowman's mill a road diverg:s to the Old Forge road. It was surveyed on the 23d of October, 1858, and confirmed in the following month. The examiners were George Poe, Henry Schriver, and John Welty. The author- ized width is thirty feet.
The road from the turnpike to the Antietam at Henry Hartle's was surveyed by S. S. Downin, December 26, 1868, and confirmed in 1870. The examiners were I. G. Brown and William B. Strock.
85
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
It was originally designed to continue this road to the Old Forge, and a resurvey for this purpose, made in 1897 by E. E. Piper and confirmed by the county commissioners, is now in litigation.
A road 158.43 perches in length extending from the Green- castle road to the Pennsylvania line was surveyed by S. S. Downin, June 10, 1872, and confirmed in December of the same year. The examiners were John F'. Lehman, John D. Eakle, and Joseph Middlekauff.
The road from Buena Vista school house on the Old Forge road by way of "the watery lane" to the Leitersburg and Smithsburg road, which constitutes the eastern line of the District for some distance, was surveyed by P. Oswald, June 11, 1875, and con- firmed in September of the same year. The examiners were Isaac E. Davis, Edward Ingram, and Joseph Kimler.
A road 295 perches in length extending eastward from the Ringgold road to the eastern line of the District was surveyed by E. E. Piper, February 4, 1891, and subsequently confirmed. The examiners were John Martin, Jr., William H. Rohrer, and Isaac G. Beard.
In 1811 there were three public road districts in Leitersburg District, described as follows: No. 20 .- "The road from Hagers- town by Rench's mill to Antietam creek below Lantz's mill on the Nicholson's Gap road: six miles." No. 21 .- "The road from Lantz's fording on the Nicholson's Gap road to the Pennsylvania line: six miles." No. 22 .- "The road from the Pennsylvania line near Peter Baker's until it intersects the Charlton's Gap road near Robert Hughes's: seven miles." The respective supervisors were Christopher Trovinger, John Mentzer, and Michael Wol- finger. The appropriation for No. 20 was $100.00; for No. 21, $60.00; for No. 22, $80.00.
In 1812 the levy court established the following rates of pay for work on the county roads:
A wagon, four horses, and driver. $2 67
A wagon, two horses, and driver, 1 67
A cart, two horses or oxen, and driver. 1 67
A cart, one horse, and driver, 1 34
An able-bodied man, 75
An able-bodied man with wheelbarrow,
A plough, two horses, and driver. 1 34
An able-bodied man engaged in blowing rocks, 1 00
86
HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
Various changes have been made and other methods have been tried, but the system of road construction and repair in Wash- ington County is substantially the same as in 1811 and for many years previous to that date. The public roads are divided into districts, for each of which a supervisor is appointed and an ap- propriation made from the county treasury. Special improve- ment by private initiative is encouraged, however; where the sup- ervisor or other interested citizens express a willingness to bestow labor or materials gratis in the construction of permanent im- provements the county commissioners usually reward their enter- prise by an increased appropriation. In this way two of the steep- est hills on the Smithsburg road southeast of Leitersburg were re- duced to much better grades in 1897-98, largely through the ef- forts of Freeland W. Anderson and Dr. J. H. Wishard; and in 1897 Samuel Cook and John F. Strite hauled 155 loads of stone on the Greencastle road adjacent to the Pennsylvania line, with which it was macadamized for a considerable distance. In both instances the county commissioners granted liberal appropriations in aid of the work.
Horseback riding was once the universal mode of travel. Wagons were used in hauling grain, merchandise, etc., but no vehicle for personal transportation was known to the pioneers of Leitersburg District. On errands of pleasure or business everybody travelled on horseback. At funerals the coffin was placed on a farm wagon and a similar conveyance carried the family of the deceased, while the relatives and friends followed on horseback like a troop of cavalry. In many families the daughters as well as the sons had their riding horses, with the necessary equipment of saddle, bridle, etc. As the condition of the roads improved gigs, carriages, and other light vehicles with leather springs were introduced, but they differed greatly from the modern type both in comfort and ap- pearance.
Before the construction of railroads grain, flour, whiskey, and other products were transported to market by wagon, and on many of the larger farms a six-horse team was employed in this way for several months every year. The shortest route from the District to Baltimore was the road through Nicholson's Gap, Mechanics- town, and Westminster, but in the winter and spring the journey was generally made by way of the National road through Middle-
87
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
town and Frederick. Seven days were required for the journey by way of Nicholson's Gap and eight days by way of Frederick.
In 1821 a line of stage coaches was established between Gettys- burg and Hagerstown by way of Nicholson's Gap. It formed part of the line between Philadelphia and Wheeling. The coaches were drawn by four horses and Leitersburg was a point of ex- change.
BRIDGES.
On the 14th of January, 1824, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the levy court of Washington County to erect a bridge over Antietam creek at Frederick Ziegler's ford on the Nichol- son's Gap road; and on the 3d of May, 1824, the court entered into a contract with James Lloyd for the erection of a stone bridge at the point designated for the sum of $2,175. This is the bridge on the turnpike a short distance southwest of Leitersburg.
In 1838 the county commissioners were authorized to build "over Antietam creek upon the best practicable site at or near Lewis Ziegler's ford on the road leading from Greencastle to Balti- more a substantial stone bridge." It was accordingly erected in the following year by J. Weaver. This is the bridge directly west of Leitersburg on the Greencastle road.
In recent years the county commissioners have erected four iron bridges in the District, located as follows: on the Antietam at Rock Forge and at the crossing on the public road between that point and Leitersburg; on the Little Antietam at the crossing on the Chewsville road and at Bowman's mill.
TURNPIKES.
The Hagerstown and Antietam Turnpike Company was incor- porated by the Maryland Legislature, February 2, 1819, "to make a turnpike road from the public square in Hagerstown to intersect the turnpike road leading from Gettysburg through Nicholson's Gap at the Pennsylvania line." Christopher Burkhart, Frederick Ziegler, John Welty, Joseph Gabby, Otho Holland Williams, and Upton Lawrence were designated as commissioners for the organ- ization of the company. The authorized capital was $60,000. The company secured several extensions of its franchise, but it does not appear that the project ever passed the initial stage.
88
HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
On the 11th of March, 1840, the Legislature passed an act au- thorizing Robert M. Tidball, Charles A. Fletcher, Lewis Ziegler, Samuel Lyday, William E. Doyle, Dr. Frederick Dorsey, Abraham Strite, and Joseph Gabby to conduct a lottery for the purpose of raising a sum not exceeding $30,000 "to be applied to the making of a turnpike road from Hagerstown through Leitersburg to the Pennsylvania line, and for introducing wholesome water into the town of Leitersburg." It does not appear that the lottery was ever organized, although the commissioners held a meeting in Hagerstown for that purpose in 1840.
The Hagerstown and Waynesboro Turnpike Company was in- corporated by the Maryland Legislatureat December session, 1846, for the construction of "an artificial bed of stone or gravel not less than sixteen feet in breadth" on the bed of the county road "to be commenced at some point within the corporate limits of the town of Hagerstown and extended to the Pennsylvania line in the direction of Waynesboro through the town of Leitersburg." The act of incorporation authorized two toll gates and designated the rates of toll, which have been modified by subsequent legis- lation.
The corporators named in the charter were Joseph Gabby, Frederick Ziegler, Abraham Strite, Lewis Ziegler, John Mentzer, and Frederick Dorsey. The company organized on the 6th of May, 1847, by the election of the following officers: President, Abraham Strite; treasurer, Jacob E. Bell; managers, Nathan Mc- Dowell, Frederick Bell, Benjamin Garver, George L. Ziegler, and Christian Strite. The first secretary of the company was Benja- min Garver, who was elected on the 17th of May, 1847.
The road is nine miles in length, and was constructed under contract by Robert Fowler and Frederick K. Ziegler. On the 13th of June, 1847, a commission composed of Joseph Gabby, Abraham Strite, William E. Doyle, Lewis Ziegler, Samuel Lyday, and R. M. Tidball certified to the completion of three miles of road ex- tending eastward from Hagerstown. The first toll collector at Gate No. 1 was Robert Bigham, who was appointed on the 1st of November, 1847. At Gate No. 2 the first collector was Jacob Garver; tolls were not collected here until November, 1848.
The capital stock of the company is issued in shares of $25.00 each. The amount originally subscribed was $10,260; this was
89
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
insufficient for the construction of the road, however, and a con- siderable indebtedness was necessarily contracted. This was grad- ually liquidated out of the earnings of the road, after which the stock was increased by the amount of indebtedness thus paid. The present capital is $16,456.25, of which Washington County holds $2,500. No dividend was declared until 1861, all the sur- plus earnings of the road up to that date having been applied to the payment of indebtedness. Since 1861 dividends have been regularly declared, and the company's stock is regarded as a desirable investment.
The succession of presidents of the company since its organiza- tion has been as follows: 1847-49, Abraham Strite; 1850-53, Rob- ert Fowler; 1854, George L. Ziegler; 1855-63, Abraham Strite; 1864-67, Jacob Miller; 1868-71, Daniel Mentzer; 1872, David M. Deitrich; 1873-95, David Strite; 1896-97, Alexander Neill.
The following persons have served as secretaries of the com- pany: 1847, Benjamin Garver; 1848-49, Christian Strite; 1850, David M. Good; 1851-53, George L. Ziegler; 1854-72, Frederick Bell; 1873-83, David M. Deitrich; 1884-97, Josephus Ground.
The succession of treasurers has been as follows: 1847, Jacob E. Bell, Joseph Leiter; 1848-50, Abraham Strite; 1851-54, Robert Fowler; 1855, Abraham Strite; 1856-58, Jacob Miller; 1859-63, Abraham Strite; 1863-85, George W. Pole; 1886-93, Samuel Strite; 1893-97, Josephus Ground.
The president of the company during the years of its early his- tory usually performed the duties of superintendent. The in- cumbents of this office since 1865 have been as follows: 1865-68, Daniel Mentzer; 1869-71, David Strite; 1872, David M. Deitrich; 1873-79, David Strite; 1881-92, John Miller; 1893-97, Samuel Strite.
The Marsh Turnpike Company was incorporated by the Mary- land Legislature at January session, 1868. The first directors were David Cleaver, Peter Middlekauff, Jacob Oberholtzer, Daniel G. Rowland, and Peter Eshleman, who organized on the 25th of March, 1870, by electing Peter Middlekauff president and Daniel G. Rowland secretary. Three hundred and forty- eight shares of stock (par value, $25.00) having been sub- scribed, the stockholders met at Paradise school house, April 2, 1870, when a permanent organization was effected, con-
.
90
HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
stituted as follows: Directors: Joseph Eshleman, Peter Mid- dlekauff, Daniel G. Rowland, Daniel N. Scheller, and George A. Cressler; president, Peter Middlekauff; secretary, Peter Eshleman; treasurer, Henry Clopper. On the 22d of April, 1870, the contract for the construction of the turnpike was awarded to Michael Dillon at $2498 per mile; and on the 18th of March, 1871, the work of construction having been completed, he received final payment. The line of the road extends from the State line to the Hagerstown and Waynesboro turnpike, a distance of four miles.
The officers of the company since its organization have been as follows: Presidents: Peter Middlekauff, 1870-71; George A. Cressler, 1872-73; Jonas Eshleman, 1874-77; George A. Cressler, 1878-79; Joseph Eshleman, 1880-90; George A. Cressler, 1891-93; John H. Miller, 1894-98. Secretaries: Peter Eshleman, George A. Cressler, Jonas Eshleman, Peter R. Eshleman, Emanuel Burger. Treasurers: Henry Clopper, 1870-75; Peter R. Eshle- man, 1876-77; Jonas Eshleman, 1878-81; George A. Cressler. 1882-90; Peter R. Eshleman, 1891-93; Jacob Eshleman, 1894-98.
MILLS.
Mills for grinding grain and sawing lumber were among the first necessities of a community and usually followed closely upon its settlement. Before the erection of a mill upon the territory of the District its inhabitants resorted to Stull's, on the Antie- tam near Hagerstown, which was built prior to 1748; Stoner's, which was in operation as early as 1749 on the Antietam east of Waynesboro at the present site of B. F. Welty's; or possibly to Wolgamot's on the Conococheague. But the water power af- forded by the streams of the District offered ample inducement to local enterprise and was early utilized for commercial purposes.
As evidenced by Colonel Bouquet's will, there was a saw-mill on the Longmeadows estate in 1765. Its site was on the farm of Daniel N. Scheller, near the Marsh run and Paradise spring, where the wheel-pit may still be seen, the masonry of which is still in a good state of preservation. On the opposite side of the Marsh turnpike and on a branch of Marsh run is Snively's saw- mill; it was from this branch that the power was derived and the course of the old race, extending from Snively's along the line between the lands of Lehman and Scheller, was clearly distin- guishable some years ago.
91
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
In 1772, as shown by the depositions in the Skipton-on-Craven boundary case, there was a saw-mill on the Little Antietam just below the bridge on the Chewsville road and opposite the present residence of Harvey J. Hartle. Nothing now remains to mark its site.
One of the first grist-mills in the District was that of Chris- topher Burkhart on Antietam creek a mile north of Leitersburg. The-site is now embraced in the lands of Samuel Martin. It is probable that this mill was established as early as 1770. The erection of the mill-dam resulted injuriously to the lands of Peter Shiess, who resided on the opposite side of the creek, and in 1779 Burkhart purchased from him eleven and three-fourths acres of land, "together with all and singular the water and water courses, and all the drained lands, meadows, and other of the benefits of the waters stopped and gorged up by the damming of the water for the use of the above named Christopher Burkhart's grist- mills * * and any other waters that may be stopped or gorged up by means of said Christopher Burkhart's mill-dam, for the benefit and advantage of said Burkhart and his mills in any kind or nature whatever." In 1797 Burkhart leased the mill, dwelling house, and lands adjacent thereto to Levan Hays for the term of seven years at an annual rental of £200. A "new mill-dam" recently erected is referred to in this lease. By his will, executed November 10, 1797, he devised the mill prop- erty to his son, Christopher Burkhart, in whose possession it continued until his death in 1838. Among those who operated it under lease from him were George Shiess and Samuel Lyday. After the property passed out of the possession of the Burkharts the successive owners were Henry Funk, Henry H. Snively, Daniel Mentzer, George Bell, and Christian Lehman. The old mill was a two-story stone structure, equipped at the close of its career with two sets of buhrs. This building was removed in 1857 by Daniel Mentzer, who erected on the same site a new mill that was re- garded as one of the most commodious on Antietam creek. It was three stories high and the walls were built of stone to the second story. This building was completely destroyed by fire on the 29th of January, 1886. Only the foundation walls now remain to mark its site. There was also a saw-mill connected with this property at one time; it survived the period of its use-
92
HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
fulness and after reaching an advanced stage of dilapidation was eventually removed.
Christian Lantz seems to have formed the idea of erecting a mill soon after he became a resident of Leitersburg District, for in 1775 he purchased from Jacob Leiter two and one-half acres of land, the boundaries of which are described as "Beginning at the end of thirty-two perches in the sixth line of a tract of land called Skipton-on-Craven and running from thence down Antie- tam creek on the northwest side of said creek * * * to include
the whole of the creek and all the advantages of the water for wa- ter works." The last clause is significant. In 1783 Lantz entered into an agreement with Leiter "not to raise the water or dam fur- ther or higher than the aforesaid corners or marked stones when there is not a flow in the creek, but at all other times he and his heirs and assigns are at liberty to raise the dam or water if they choose as far as the said stones but no farther, only when the flow is high." In a provisional disposition of his lands in 1792 Chris- tian Lantz assigned the mill property to his son Christian and ad- jacent land to his son George, reserving to the latter "the use of the water every Monday night, Thursday night, and Saturday night forever, to be let through a hole made one foot square in the said Christian Lantz's mill race where George Lantz may think proper for the convenience of watering the said George Lantz's meadows."
The Lantz mill was situated west of Leitersburg on the opposite side of the Antietam creek and a short distance above the turn- pike bridge over that stream. At the beginning of the century this crossing is referred to as "Lantz's fording on the Nicholson's Gap road." From Christian Lantz, Jr., the son of the first pro- prietor, the mill passed to his son-in-law, John Byer, by whom several other manufacturing establishments were also operated here. These included a saw-mill, tannery, hemp-mill, and dis- tillery. Fowler & Ziegler subsequently bought the property, equipped the mill with new machinery, and transacted an exten- sive business, which rapidly declined after they discontinued operations.
On the south side of the turnpike at the point where Marsh run crosses the District line stands one of the oldest mills in Washing- ton County. This mill is located on a draft of the Nicholson's
93
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
Gap road in 1791 under the name of Rench's mill. It was built by John Rench, who purchased the site in 1780 in connection with a tract of over four hundred acres. He died in 1794 and by the terms of his will the mill was devised to his son, Peter Rench, by whose heirs it was sold in 1819 to Joseph Miller. The next owner was Abraham Schmutz, from whom the property passed to D. G. Yost and Adam Kinkle in 1826. On the 29th of June, 1833, Yost and Kinkle entered into an agreement with Frederick Ziegler for the sale of the mill and all its appurtenances, in consid- eration of which he agreed to deliver to them at Hagerstown "375 barrels of good, merchantable, first proof whiskey, to be the same quality of whiskey which the said Ziegler has been in the habit of selling in Baltimore, Georgetown, and other cities at from fifty to fifty-five cents per gallon." It was further stipu- lated that the capacity of the barrels should average thirty-four gallons. At this time (1833) the mill was operated under lease by Thomas Phillips. The property appears to have been in liti- gation about this time, as Ziegler did not secure a valid deed until 1847. At his death it passed to his son, David Ziegler, of Greencastle, Pa., in whose possession it has since remained. The present lessee is Samuel Hartman.
Some time near the close of the last century General Sprigg built a mill on Marsh run in the extreme northwestern part of the District. It was a two-story stone structure about forty feet square. The power was originally derived from a dam a half-mile distant. David Brumbaugh, who subsequently purchased the property, improved it in various ways and excavated a reservoir with an area of half an acre. Brumbaugh sold it to Jacob B. Lehman in 1854, and from him it was purchased in 1858 by his son, Henry F. Lehman, the present proprietor. The old stone mill was removed in 1869 and replaced by the main part of the present structure, a brick building thirty-eight by forty-five feet in dimensions, to which a frame addition thirty by thirty-one was added in 1878. Steam power was introduced in 1887, and at the present time engines of thirty-five horse-power are used. The use of buhrs in the manufacture of flour was discontinued in 1887 in favor of the roller process, to which the gyrator system of bolting was added in 1897. The present capacity of the mill is fifty barrels per day. It is also provided with facilities for the
6
94
HISTORY OF LEITERSBURG DISTRICT.
manufacture of other mill products, and in the character of its equipment and the extent of its business is justly regarded as one of the leading mills of Washington County.
An advertisement in the Washington Spy for May 3, 1793, re- fers to"Jacob Gilbert's mill, on Little Antietam creek, seven miles from Hagerstown and two miles off the main road leading from said town to Nicholson's Gap." Here Gilbert owned two hun- dred acres of land, which he purchased in 1789 from Abraham Stouffer, who is said to have built the mill. He derived his title from Christian Hyple. In 1800 Gilbert sold it to Abraham Moyer, by whom it was owned when the Smithsburg road was opened. He became insolvent and in 1825 the property was purchased at sheriff's sale by Frederick Bell, who built the present mill in 1837-38 and equipped it with new machinery throughout. He died in 1839 and in 1840 the mill was bought by his son, Freder- ick Bell. Among the subsequent owners were Samuel Etnyer, David M. Deitrich, Jeremiah Fahrney, Elias R. Stottlemeyer, and George H. Bowman, the present proprietor, who pur- chased it in 1886. He introduced the roller process in 1896 and has also improved the property in various other ways.
Strite's mill near Leitersburg has been known by this name for more than half a century. The mill site and adjacent land were owned by the first Jacob Leiter at his death in 1764 and devised by him to his son, Christian. He sold it in 1790 to Peter Shana- berger, from whom it was purchased in 1792 by Samuel Kraumer (Cromer). While it is possible that some previous owner may have built and operated a mill at this site, there can be no doubt that the present structure was erected by Kraumer. A large stone in the front wall bears the inscription, "S. K. 1798." Fur- ther authentic testimony occurs in a deed from Jacob Leiter (of Peter) to Felix Beck for land subsequently owned by George Zieg- ler. the boundary of which is described as beginning at a tree on the west bank of the Antietam creek "two perches below Samuel Kraumer's mill house." This deed was executed in 1799. In 1807 Kraumer sold the property to John Russell, who was from the Shenandoah valley in Virginia. He died in 1808: his son, Chris- tian Russell, by inheritance and purchase secured a two-thirds interest in the property, which he operated until 1829, when financial reverses compelled him to sell it. He then engaged in
95
SOCIAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.
other business and eventually lost his life in a steamboat explosion on the Mississippi. Stephen Martin purchased the mill in 1829 and owned it until his death. It was bought in 1843 by Christian Strite, by whom the south wing was built for grinding plaster. He died in 1862, after which the property was purchased by Sam- uel Strite, the present owner. This is one of the largest mills on Antietam creek and is equipped throughout with modern ma- chinery. The present lessee is John C. Strite.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.