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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofyorkcou00prow
Copiawell
HISTORY
OF
YORK COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
BY GEORGE R. PROWELL
CURATOR AND LIBRARIAN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF YORK COUNTY; MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME I
-
CHICAGO J. H. BEERS & CO. 1907
CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER I.
Organization of the County-Topography-Geol- ogy-The Indians ...
CHAPTER II.
Indian Conferences of 1721 and 1722-Keith's Newberry Tract.
CHAPTER III.
Springettsbury Manor-Blunston's Licenses 35
CHAPTER IV. .
Border Troubles-The Chester County Plot- Colonel Thomas Cresap.
68
CHAPTER V.
The Boundary Line-Digges' Choice-Manor of Maske-The Temporary Line-Mason and Dixon's Line.
68
CHAPTER VI.
Pioneers and Pioneer Life. 98
CHAPTER VII.
Early Highways-Roads, Ferries and Bridges. ... 106
CHAPTER VIII.
Friends or Quakers
106
CHAPTER IX.
The Scotch-Irish.
I28
CHAPTER X.
The Germans-Mennonites-German Baptists- Dutch and Huguenot Colony-Early Marriages and Baptisms. I28
CHAPTER XI.
The French and Indian War.
1.47
CHAPTER XII.
The Revolution-First York County Troops-Bat- tle of Long Island. 157
CHAPTER XIII.
The Flying Camp-Battles of Fort Washington, Trenton and Princeton. 177
CHAPTER XIV.
Battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown and Monmouth-Major John Clark-General Henry Miller-Colonel Thomas Hartley. ....
I9I
CHAPTER XV. Page
Pennsylvania Line, Pulaski's Legion and Armand's
Legion at York-Quartermaster's Posts in
York County.
214
CHAPTER XVI. British and Hessian Prisoners-Baron and Bar- oness Riedesel at York. 225
CHAPTER XVII.
Associators-Muster Rolls and Pensioners. . . 2.42
CHAPTER XVIII. Continental Congress at York-First National Thanksgiving-Articles of Confederation Adopted-Proceedings in 1778. 288
CHAPTER XIX.
Alliance with France-Death of Philip Living- ston-Baron Steuben at York-The Conway Cabal-Gates-Wilkinson Duel-Members of Congress 313
CHAPTER XX.
Whiskey Insurrection 340
CHAPTER XXI.
War of 1812-Rendezvous at York. 34I
CHAPTER XXII.
Mexican War-York County Soldiers 349
CHAPTER XXIII.
The Civil War-Camp Scott-Regimental Muster Rolls-Confederate Invasions of 1862 and 1863 353
CHAPTER XXIV.
Emergency Troops-Confederates at York and Wrightsville-United States Hospital at York .. 402
CHAPTER XXV.
Battle of Hanover-The Monument. 425
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Spanish-American War 45I
CHAPTER XXVII.
Noted Men of York County 454
CHAPTER XXVIII
The Bench and the Bar.
477
CHAPTER XXIX.
The Medical Profession.
515
(v)
I
I7
CONTENTS
Page
Educational CHAPTER XXX.
538
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Printing Press
549
CHAPTER XXXII.
Political-Post Offices-Census Reports.
....
559
CHAPTER XXXIII. Slavery in York County-The Underground Rail- road
590
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Turnpikes-Canals-Railroads-Telegraph - Tele-
phone 599
CHAPTER XXXV.
Storms and Floods-Weather Observations 621
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Distilling and Tobacco Culture 628
CHAPTER XXXVII.
City of York-Early History 633
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
City of York-Before and After 1800. 646
CHAPTER XXXIX.
City of York-Religious History 676
CHAPTER XL.
City of York-Schools, Societies, Libraries
CHAPTER XLI.
City of York-Visits of Famous Men. 738
CHAPTER XLII.
City of York-Banks and Manufacuring.
749
CHAPTER XLIII.
City of York-Public Enterprises.
770
CHAPTER XLIV. Page
City of York-Military and Fire Department. 780
CHAPTER XLV.
City of York-Markets, Inns Hotels. 794
CHAPTER XLVI.
Borough of Hanover 807
CHAPTER XLVII. Cross Roads-Dallastown-D e lt a-Dillsburg- Dover-East Prospect-Fawn Grove-Felton- Franklintown-Glen Rock-Goldsboro-Jeffer- son-Lewisberry-Loganville. 855
CHAPTER XLVIII. Manchester-New Freedom-Railroad-Red Lion -Seven Valley-Shrewsbury-Spring Grove- -Stewartstown - Wellsville-Windsorville- Winterstown - Wrightsville-Yoe-York Ha- ven-York New Salem. 896
CHAPTER XLIX.
Township History-Carroll-Chanceford-Codorus -Conewago-Dover 939
CHAPTER L. Fairview-Fawn-Franklin-Heidelberg-Hellam- Hopewell-Jackson-Lower Chanceford. ..... 966
CHAPTER LI.
724 Lower Windsor-Manchester and East Manchester -Manheim - Monaghan-Newberry - North Codorns-Paradise-Peach Bottom. 1008
CHAPTER LII.
Penn-Shrewsbury-Springfield - Springgettsbury -Spring Garden-Warrington-Washington- West Manchester-West Manheim-Windsor York 1058
(vi)
ILLUSTRATIONS.
List of Portraits in Volume I.
List of Views in Volume I.
Page
Page
Atlee, William Augustus. 486
Bailey, Daniel D. 868
Barnitz, Charles A 566
Almshouse 582
Black, Chauncey F 458
Black, Jeremiah S.
454
Custer, General George A.
430
Cochran, Thomas E
506
Centre Square in 1820. 630
Durkee, Daniel 486
Eichelberger, Captain A. W.
850
Continental note printed at York
308
Farnsworth, General Elon J.
430
Cookes house 216
Fisher, Robert J
488
Court House 576
Franklin, Walter
486
Court of Honor in Centre Square in 1899.
790
Franklin, General William B
388
Eichelberger High School
826
Gibson, John
490
Eighty-seventh Regiment at the Battle of Win- chester 364
Hampton, General Wade.
438
Hancock, John
290
First Presbyterian Church in 1790. 700
Hartley, Colonel Thomas
212
Helb, Frederick
900
Henry, John Joseph.
486
First York County Jail. 644
Kilpatrick, General Hugh Judson.
Flax Brake 92
King, George
Geological Map
4
Krall, John
1092
George Street north and south from Centre Square,
778
Kurtz, William H.
768
Globe Inn
648
Lafean, Charles
766
Hartley, Colonel Thomas and wife. 740
Landes, John
1078
Headquarters of General Wayne 216
Latimer, James W.
492
House built in 1745 at Hanover by Colonel Richard McAllister 812
Lee, General Fitzhugh.
Lichtenberger, Samuel
1020
Livingston, Philip
322
Mayer, John L ..
50.4
Mayer, Rev. Lewis
466 804
Newberry Friends' Meeting House. IIO
Miller, General Henry.
Residence and law office of James Smith. 312
Niles, Rev. Henry E
704
Residence of Major Clark. 308
Seal of the Borough of York. 644
Ross, James
472
Spinning wheels 92 26
Small, Philip A.
654
St. John's Episcopal Church .. 700
Small, Samuel, Sr
660
Tearing up the Weldon Railroad. 382
Small, W. Latimer.
670
U. S. Treasury Building .. 312
Smith, James
338
Warrington Friends' Meeting House. IIO
Smith, S. Morgan.
758
West Market Street from Centre Square in 1820 638
Stuart, General J. E. B.
438
Western entrance to York in 1844. 652
Weiser, Erastus H.
508
View of York in 1850 714
Wells, Abraham
920
York Collegiate Institute. 730
Wiest, Peter ..
802
York County Academy. 728
Wilhelm, Artemas
1064
York Friends' Meeting House. II.4
Young, Hiram
556
York High School. 726
Zion Reformed Church. 686
Young, John S. 834
930
South from rear of St. John's Episcopal Church. 652
Small. George 664
Springettsbury Manor
Small, Samuel
674
Market Street east and west from Centre Square. 774
Monuments, Smith, Livingston and Soldiers. 330
Moravian parsonage 740
McLean, James
204
Residence of Baltzer Spangler. 1072
Quay, Matthew S. 470
Rebman, Dr. George A.
430 762
Emmanuel Reformed Church, Hanover. 826 Figure of Justice in Colonial Court House 648
Glatfelter, Philip H.
912 854
Grumbine, William
Bird's-eye view of York .. 790
Centre Church, Fawn Township. 974
Barnitz, George Augustus 806
Action at Wrightsville, June, 1863. 416
Adjournment of Continental Congress at York 302
Battle Monument at Hanover 418
Christ Lutheran Church in 1800. 686
First Stone House in York County 1072
Laurens, Henry 296 438
Map of York County 2
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Map of YORK COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA.
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2
HISTORY
OF
YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
Organization of York County-Adams County Formed-Topography-Geology -The Indians-Aboriginal Occupation- Indian Traders.
Chester, Bucks and Philadelphia were the three original counties established at the first settlement of the Province of Pennsylvania, under the direction of its founder, William Penn. These counties were organized within two months after the arrival of Penn in America, under the charter granted him by Charles II, King of England, March 4, 1681.
By the treaty of 1718 with the Indians, the western boundary of Chester County was not definitely established until the erec- tion of Lancaster County from Chester, by act of May 10, 1729. There were then no authorized settlements west of the Susque- hanna, within the present limits of York County. As far as the treaties with the Indians were instrumental in establishing county boundary lines, the Susquehanna was the western limit of Chester County before 1729.
At the conclusion of the Indian treaty in 1736, the limits of Lancaster County were extended indefinitely westward. It in- cluded all of the present counties of York, Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, and Dauphin and a large portion of Berks and North- time and is today the largest county of umberland. The Indians, then being peace- ful, the fertile lands west of the Susque- hanna were soon occupied by immigrants and in a short time hundreds of industrious farmers were clearing the lands and plant-
ing their crops. In a few years a number of petitions were presented to the Pro- vincial Council, signed by influential citizens of " Lancaster County, west of the Susque- hanna," asking for the erection of a new county. The causes of these early petitions for the formation of a new county were ow- ing to the rapid increase of the population west of the river, troubles and difficulties that arose among settlers, and the long dis- tance to the Lancaster court, where a re- dress of grievances might be obtained.
The first petition was presented York in 1747, but it was unheard. In County 1748, a strong and urgent request Formed. was made, whereupon favorable action was taken and on August 19, 1749, the act obtained the official sanc- tion of James Hamilton, deputy governor of the Province, and York County, the first west of the Susquehanna River, and in order of date the fifth in the Province of Pennsylvania, was formed. The county from which it was detached had the historic name of Lancaster, after a shire on the west coast of North England. East of Lanca- shire is the grand old district of Yorkshire, rendered memorable by the War of the Roses, its magnificent cathedrals and castles of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and for its ancient manufacturing city of York, where the first English Parliament assembled in 1160. It has been for a long England. By the unanimous consent of the petitioners for a division of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, and the commis- sioners who formed the division, making low water mark on the west side of the Sus-
1
2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
quehanna the boundary line, York County was named in honor of John Adams, who was named after Yorkshire, in England. was then President of the United States. The town of York was laid out and named This reduced York County to its pres- eight years before this event.
ent area of 921 square miles. York The commissioners named in the act to carry out its provisions and lay off the new county were Thomas Cox, of Warrington Township; Nathan Hussey, of Newberry; John Wright, Jr., of Wright's Ferry ; George Swope, of York, and Michael Tanner of the County is in the shape of an irregular quadrangle, with Mason and Dixon's line for the base, a distance of forty miles, and is the fourth in line westward of the south- ern tier of counties, with Lancaster and Dauphin on the east and southeast, the state vicinity of Hanover. The first three were of Maryland on the south, Adams County English Quakers. The others were Ger- on the west, and Cumberland- and Dauphin mans. They all became court justices. on the north. The Susquehanna River Tanner was the first leader of the German washes the eastern boundary from the Baptists in York County.
The boundaries of York County, as then 'land line, a distance of fifty-five miles. The formed, which included the present county of Adams, according to the Act of Assembly, embraced " all and singular the lands lying within the Province of Pennsylvania, to the westward of the river Susquehanna, and southward and eastward of the South Mountain to the Maryland line, and from thence eastward to the Susquehanna." The northern boundary line was not definitely established until after the erection of Cum- berland County, which was also formed bends of this stream to its mouth at the from Lancaster, by act of March 27, 1750, and named after a maritime county of northern England.
York County, when first formed included Adams County and contained 1,469 square miles, or about 950,000 acres. In 1749, the year of its formation, it had 1,466 taxable inhabitants, with an entire population of longs to the open country of the great At- lantic plain, with an average elevation of about 500 feet above high tide at Philadel- phia. A ridge of the South Mountains en- ters the northwestern corner of the county and terminates above Dillsburg. A spur of
about 6,000. In 1750, there were 1,798 tax- ables, and in 1751 there were 2,043 taxables and an entire population of over 8,000. This will illustrate how rapidly immigration into the county took place, as the increase of population in two years was 33 1-3 per these mountains extends across Fairview cent. Immediately after the close of the Township and down along the Susque- Revolution, in 1783, by an action of the hanna. county court, the township assessors were required to take an enumeration of the peo- ple in their respective districts. According to their reports, the county in that year contained a population of 27,007; of this number 17,007 lived within the present limits of York County. There were in ad- dition to this, 657 colored slaves.
By an act of Legislature passed
Adams January 22, 1800, Adams County
County was formed out of York, with an
Formed. area of 548 square miles. It
mouth of the Yellow Breeches to the Mary- western boundary line from the southern line north eight and a half miles is an exact meridian; from thence Beaver Creek and a public road form a winding line northwest- ward to a point on the South Mountains, where York, Cumberland and Adams meet. From here the boundary is a due northeast line along a ridge of the South Mountains to the Yellow Breeches Creek, continuing in nearly the same direction along the many Susquehanna, two miles below the city of Harrisburg.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The topographical features of York County consist principally of easy-rolling hill and valley surface. The county be-
Enclosed within the different smaller ridges are the fertile Redland and Fishing Creek Valleys, composed of the new red sandstone and red shale formations. Round Top I, IIO feet above sea level, and its quiet neighbor, Knell's Hill, are isolated peaks of basalt or trap formation, in War- rington Township. The Conewago Hills, isolated ridges of South Mountain, termi- nates at York Haven. Above Wrights- ville, to the mouth of the Codorus Creek, extending westward to near the Harrisburg Pike, is a woodland ridge of white sand-
3
INTRODUCTION
stone, known as Hellam Hills. Between
this elevation and Conewago Hills there is a wide extent of red sandstone.
Pidgeon Hills in the western part of the county, are of elliptical formation. The southeastern portion of the county contains slate ridges and hills, and extensive quar- ries are worked in Peach Bottom Township, yielding roofing slate of the very best qual- ity. The Martic Ridge crosses Lancaster County. Its western extension passes from the Susquehanna to the vicinity of Jefferson. The southern and southwest- ern sections of York County are undulat- ing, containing here and there woodland hills.
Conewago Creek and its branches, Little Conewago, Bermudian Creek and Stony Run, drain the northern and western por- tions of the county. Codorus Creek with its two branches, flows through the central part, past York. Muddy Creek with its two large branches drain the southeastern section.
York County has the shape of an irregu- lar quadrangle. It borders on Maryland and lies on the parallel of latitude, 39 de- grees, 43 minutes, 26.3 seconds (Mason and Dixon's line), and extends northward nearly to Harrisburg, or about 15 minutes above the fortieth parallel, which passes through Emigsville, three miles north of York. The county is crossed by the meridian of Wash- ington, and with reference to that line, its extreme eastern and western points are in longitude 45 minutes east and 10 minutes west. York County extends along the Maryland line about forty miles, bordering on the counties of Harford, Baltimore and Carroll. It adjoins on the north and west the counties of Cumberland and Adams, the latter of which was formerly a part of York County. It contains an area of 921 square miles. The Susquehanna River flows for nearly fifty-five miles along the eastern boundary, and the extreme eastern point of its southern boundary is about fifteen miles north of Havre de Grace, at the head of Chesapeake Bay.
Elevations.
The accompanying tables and specifications of altitudes above
the ocean level of many points in York County were gathered from dif- ferent sources, many from observations with transit or barometer, some were gathered
from altitudes measured by practical geolo- gists of the two different state surveys, and still others from the profiles of railroads.
The following is a table of elevations of various points in the county above mean tide at Philadelphia :
Feet.
Round Top I,IIO
Base of Round Top.
605
Rossville
501
Mount Royal
547
Conewago Hills, highest point. 800
Dover
431
Wellsville
489
Franklintown
580
Emig's Mills
550
Dillsburg
540
Lewisberry
601
York (Centre Square)
385
Webb's Hill
880
Longstown
637
Innersville
680
Loganville
734
Jefferson
600
Hanover (Centre Square)
601
Maryland line south of Hanover. 820
656
Bangor
500
Fawn Grove
810
Castle Fin
190
New Park
812
Bryansville
210
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILROAD.
Baltimore
000
Parkton
120
New Freedom 827
Seitzland 611
Glen Rock
551
Hanover Junction
422
Smyser's
389
Glatfelter's
335
Tunnel
200
York, Junction with Frederick Division of P. R. R. Emigsville
376
Mount Wolf
376
Summit No. 2.
466
Conewago Bridge
289
York Haven
201
Goldsboro
304
Middletown Ferry
307
Marsh Run
309
New Cumberland
312
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD, FREDERICK DIVISION.
Wrightsville 257
Hellam
348
Hiestand's
427
York (depot) 366
Codorus Creek 357
Graybill's 126
Bair's 152
Spring Forge
055
Menges' Mill
455
Iron Ridge 496
Railroad Crossing. Hanover Junction and Gettys- burg R. R. crosses at grade. 607
Hanover 599
Littlestown 619
State Line 540
366
Dallastown
·
4
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The levels on the line of the Frederick Division Pennsylvania Railroad were copied from a profile in the office at Philadelphia. The datum is mean tide at Baltimore.
HANOVER AND BALTIMORE RAILROAD.
Feet.
Lineboro 682
Valley Junction
741
Black Rock
790
Glenville 701
Junction 544
Porter's
510
Hanover (depot)
600
Abbottstown
457
East Berlin
273
YORK AND PEACH BOTTOM RAILROAD.
Susquehanna River
85
Peach Bottom grade.
II8
Bangor Summit
51I
Delta 435
Bryansville
2.4I
Woodbine
294
Bridgeton
Bruce
Muddy Creek Forks.
High Rock
Laurel
4II 434
Brogueville
478
Felton
536 598
Springvale
734 900
Dallastown
657
Ore Valley
570
Enterprise
531
Small's Mills
433
Spring Garden
43I
York
372
SUSQUEHANNA CANAL.
The elevations here given are estimated above mean tide at
Havre de Grace 000
State Line
68
Peach Bottom (on canal)
IOI
Muddy Creek I21
Slate Tavern 130
McCall's Ferry II7
York Furnace 141
Shenk's Ferry 152
Lockport 163
North Bridgeville 187
Wrightsville (on canal)
214
By a comparison of all the above tables it will be observed that the elevation of nearly all points in the southern part of the county is higher than in the northern part.
GEOLOGY OF YORK COUNTY.
Prof. A. Wanner, superintendent of schools of the City of York, has made a form or other it is widely disseminated diligent and careful study of the geology of
throughout this section. The characteristic York County. The following article was red color of the upper end of York County prepared by him specially for this work :
The geology of York County is extremely complex. It contains some of the earliest formations and some of the latest, so faulted and folded, so much eroded and fractured, as to obscure the geological succession. The problem is not yet fully solved. However, since the publication of the State Geologi- cal Reports, closer study of local and related deposits and the discovery of fossils in the limestone formation have resulted in exten- sive changes in the geological map of York County. Strata. that were erroneously, or provisionally, placed have been definitely located, mainly in the Cambrian.
Some reference, however brief, should be made to the dominant mineral constituents that go to make up the various strata be- fore the formations themselves are dis- cussed. Now whilst there are a number of different minerals found in York County, the great geological formations are essen- tially composed of only five elemental sub- stances. These have furnished the ma- terials, in one form or other, from which the varied rock beds and the soil have been derived.
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