USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Conoy > A pictorial history of Conoy Township : from colonial days to 1976 > Part 2
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The canal added an important dimension to the life and prosperity of the town. Canal boats were owned by Bainbridge residents, including John Findley, George, and Frank Feltenberger, along with quite a few others. The Pennsylvania Canal, which generally followed all along the Susquehanna River, was ready for use in 1832. Its operations continued as late as 1901, however their heyday only lasted for about twenty years when the rail- roads bought them out. Although the canal era is a by- gone era, a few pictures and remnants do remain. The rock walls and canal bed are still visible in most places, and the remains of those engineering marvels-the locks- still are intact in some places. These sturdy stone structures were 170 feet long and 17 feet wide, just one foot wider than the boats. Canals were big business, as 135 tons of freight could easily be hauled by just three mules. Locks were especially important in Conoy Town- ship because the river elevation changed so rapidly in such a short distance. From Rowenna, (the deepest lock on the entire Pa. Canal - 19 feet), the next lock was just above Bainbridge. About two miles above the Bainbridge lock was Collins' lock. Barely a mile above that one was the Falmouth lock. The next lock above that was Buck lock near Middletown. It was said that the Lutheran Sunday School picnics used the canal boats to go down to Chickies Park, below Marietta, every summer. The boats were boarded at the Railroad station in Bainbridge, owned by John Findley.
Old Canal - Falmouth
Old Canal - Collins
Railroad Station - Bainbridge - (no longer standing)
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BINBRIDGE
Railroad Station - Bainbridge - looking East Railroad Station - Bainbridge - looking South
R.R. Station Bainbridge, Fax
8169
8
The railroad, which came in some time after the canal, also offered the township improved facilities. As time went on, many residents were employed on the railroad. There were actually four railway stations in the township at one time: Falmouth, Collins, Bainbridge, and Locust Grove. The decline of the influence of the railroad has been such that today, however, no longer does the railroad make any stops in Conoy Township and the sta- tions no longer stand. The trains pass through Bainbridge and blow their whistles, and the silent and mystical canal bed still remains as remnants of the once flourishing busi- ness in this bygone era. There is little doubt that the canals and railroad played a major part in the growth and development of communities in Conoy Township in the 1800's.
During the Civil War, Bainbridge was in its prime. The apex of its population was reached when fifteen hundred soldiers were stationed here in 1863 on emergen- cy during the Battle of Gettysburg. During the Civil War, the Lutheran Church, which stood, where it now stands, on top of the hill in Bainbridge, was used as a repository of
arms. Colonel Thomas of Philadelphia was often seen on the steeple anxiously looking through his glass to the York County side of the River, watching for Rebel cavalry op- posite Bainbridge, who, after the burning of the Columbia- Wrightsville Bridge in 1863, were seeking a natural loca- tion of easily crossing the river in attempt to capture Harrisburg.
By 1880 the population of Bainbridge was estimated to be about eight hundred. The population of the entire township had passed the two thousand mark by then. In fact, by 1842 enough people were settled in the entire township area that formal steps were taken and Conoy Township was formally established, being taken from West Donegal Twp. So Conoy Township, as we know it, is 134 years old, officially.
In 1875 Bainbridge was described as having the usual number of churches, schools, and mills commonly found in a prosperous community. The following list will give some idea of the variety of early businesses in Bainbridge and the surrounding township area:
TABLE I BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS IN CONOY TOWNSHIP PRIOR TO 1875
Name of
Date of Business
Place of Settlement
Type of
Business
S. Ackerman
1833
Bainbridge
Storekeeper and farmer
Barnard Doyle
1861
Bainbridge
Hotel keeper
D. Dibeler
1832
Falmouth
Foreman in quarry
Miss Sidney Dennison
1854
Falmouth
Instructress
C. Engle
1804
Bainbridge
Farmer
H. Simon Engle
1833
Bainbridge
Farmer
M. H. Engle
1851
Bainbridge
Farmer and speculator
H. C. Fahs
1852
Bainbridge
Wheelwright and farm implements
J. S. Grimes
1870
Falmouth
Dealer in general merchandise
J. F. Galbraith
1840
Bainbridge
Farmer and River pilot
J. A. Garreth
1844
Bainbridge
Stonemason
J. Haldeman
1818
Locust Grove
Farmer and limeburner
Benjamin Hoffman
1828
Bainbridge
Farmer and dealer in leaf tobacco
Jacob Haldeman
1814
Bainbridge
Hotel Keeper
S. Hackenberger
1847
Bainbridge
Druggist and apothecary
John Hykes
1871
Bainbridge
Farmer
Henry Isaac
1840
Bainbridge
Dealer in groceries, flour, feed, etc.
B. Meckley
1817
Bainbridge
Sheriff, manufacturer of lumber
J. K. Stoner
1834
Bainbridge
Farmer and sale clerk
Fred Smith
1816
Bainbridge
John Wiley
1833
Bainbridge
Dr. George Weseman
1867
Bainbridge
Physician
A. M. Bachman
1862
Teacher & Tax Collector
Abraham Collins
At Collins
John Deer
Bainbridge
Joseph Engle
Saw Miller
C. S. Erb
Justice of Peace
John Horst
Lock tender (#4) Hotel; Dry Goods; Feed Store
Jacob Lenhert
Carpenter
Jacob Miller
Shoemaker
George Bean
Lumber & Coal dealer
Henry Bricker
Dentist & Watch Maker
John Filbert
Bainbridge
Union Hotel-Prop .; Express Agent
Eliza Galbraith
Bainbridge
Milliner (Hat Shop); Post Mistress
John Hefft
Exchange Hotel-Prop .; Storekeeper
John Markley
Bainbridge
Tin Ware & Stove dealer
Abraham Smith
Currier & Tanner
Frederick Smith
1863
Sheriff of Lanc. Co.
Horace West
Physician
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Dry Goods; Grocery; Grain; Tobacco; Canal Boats - Prop. Cooper
- Merchant
Miller and distiller
Person
1
2
THIRD
STREET
17
27
23
4
26
18
16
20 15
5 6
SECOND
STREET
29
25
22 21
7
33
34
B
9
30
3
24
14
10
31
32
11 19
13
FRONT STREET
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PENNA. RAILROAD
PENNA. CANAL
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
LOCATION OF SOME BAINBRIDGE BUSINESSES PRIOR TO 1900
1. tannery
2. shoe shop
10. bake shop
11. stemery
12. R.R. station
13. hotel
14. dry goods, tinware, icehouse
15. bank
16. store
17. furniture store and undertaker
18. butcher shop
19. Church of God
20. milliner (hat shop)
21. photographer
22. drug store
23. tobacco warehouse 32. hotel (union)
24. school and townhall
25. Lutheran Church
26. coal yard
27. feed store
28. cabinet, coffin shop
29. River Brethren Church
5. wagon shop
6. blacksmith shop
30. blacksmith shop
31. cigar shop
33. exchange hotel
34. store
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SPRUCE STREET
WALNUT STREET
CHESTNUT STREET
28
MARKET STREET "B"
ARCH STREET
RACE STREET
MARKET STREET "C"
LOCUST STREET
3. feedmill
4. 10OF, OUAM
7. post office and hotel
8. Methodist Church
9. coal yard
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Bainbridge National Bank at right - General Store at left where horse and wagon are hitched - looking North on 2nd Street (about 1920)
One must conclude that before the increased mobility brought about by the automobile, Bainbridge was isolated enough to remain quite self-sufficient. It wasn't necessary to travel to a bigger city; most of our needs and wants could be satisfied right in our own community!
By contrast, today Bainbridge is basically a residen- tial community surrounded by primarily an agricultural township. Increased mobility of the the 20th century has sent workers to the cities and the huge supermarkets and discount stores have almost replaced the small town shops. Even the First National Bank of Bainbridge, lo- cated at Second and Race Sts., had, in 1923, a capital of $25,000 and total resources over $216,000. Comparable in size with other banks in the county, it is no longer in busi- ness. Presently the major businesses in Bainbridge are the Gingrich Food Market, which also handles general merchandise, Hawthorn's Furniture Store and Funeral Home, which dates back to 1820., Wilbert Mohr's plumb- ing and heating business, two service stations: Brosey's Sinclair and the Bainbridge "76" station, the Washington House Conoy Restaurant, and two hotels. A modern post office serves the entire township; Lloyd Smith operates a barber shop. More community names and places will appear later.
Locust Grove
Mention was made of the small village of Locust Grove, begun by John Haldeman during the 1790's. This place remained about the same size, as the Haldeman works was the only business there and the townspeople lived barely a mile from the Bainbridge businesses. Today the village contains about six houses and the huge Halde- man mansion. Remnants of the old mill still stand, and the little village, nestled in a hollow, surrounded by Locust trees, is a beautiful picture.
In 1845 John Haldeman commenced the burning of
lime about a mile south of Locust Grove. Further discus- sion of these works will be continued when Billmeyer is discussed later. However, since Conoy Twp. is rich in limestone, other kilns were constructed at various places in the township. For example, in 1840, Benjamen and Samuel Beatty erected two draw kilns about one-half mile east of Bainbridge on the Stackstown Road. Limestone was always in great demand due to the expanding iron and steel industry in the United States.
Stackstown
In 1884, on the Conoy Creek near Patrick Campbell's tavern, only three houses stood. About this time a man by the name of George Stacks decided to establish a wagon shop and blacksmith shop there. He added a few houses to the settlement and thereafter it has been called by about five different names, all of which refer to the same village: Ridgeville, Hancock, Bridgeville, Stackstown, and in the late 1800's when the town had a post office, it was known as Lobata. The town did not grow fast and by 1883 there were a total of fourteen dwellings, a store, the blacksmith shop, a mill, and a school in the vicinity. The town is perhaps slightly larger today and generally goes by the name Stackstown, although occasionally letters received in the Bainbridge post office are addressed to people living in "Lobata." After World War II, a contrac- tor named Oliver Sager began the construction of a group of homes about a half mile east of Stackstown along the Conoy Creek. This development which totals around fifteen or twenty houses is today known as Sagerville.
Billmeyer
Brief mention was made previously of this company town just below Locust Grove along the river. The story of Billmeyer is a unique and colorful one in Conoy Township
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TOMANAWA
SCRAP
-
SCRAM
Conoy Store Company - Billmeyer 1899-1954
Helen's Country Store - Bainbridge 1945
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..
CLENS
DUNT
79
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history, and perhaps it is a bit unusual for this part of Pennsylvania. The beginning of this town actually goes back to 1845 when Haldeman built two lime kilns here. These kilns produced 30,000 bushels of lime per year, the lime being quarried from the hills behind the kilns. In 1870 Haldeman leased the operation to Kerr, Cook, and Company for ten years. In 1881 Walter Haldeman and a Cladwell took it over until 1894. Lime products were in great demand in the steel industry and this particular business was a very profitable venture at the time.
In 1894 John E. Baker leased the works and in 1896 he bought the Haldeman farm. He promptly named the quarry settlement "Billmeyer" after his wife's maiden name. The final product, a finely ground lime, was called "Donegal Dolomite." During World War I, when Europeans cut off America's trade for magnesite, Baker, who owned several other companies in eastern U.S., was the first to begin production of a substitute from the rich dolomite at the Billmeyer quarry. It was during this period that Billmeyer became a booming company town. Foreign help from southern Europe and Negro laborers from the South arrived in quantity. During its peak over seven hundred men were employed at Billmeyer! Their homes were mostly frame and very simply constructed. A company store was built and operated by William W. Mundorff of Bainbridge. A small chapel, post office, and school were built by the company also. Several bad epi- demics hit Billmeyer before the war and no one was per- mitted to leave town. Trains refused to stop, and they threw out the mail and supplies while passing through the town.
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Billmeyer church and school (1936 flood picture)
By 1940 the dolomite production began to slacken and the years 1940-1957 witnessed a gradual decline in production. Billmeyer, a victim of unavoidable economic circumstances, gradually became a ghost town. A transfer of some of its operations and skilled workers was made to Thomasville, York Co., another plant of the Baker Company. By 1954 about 40 men were employed on a standby basis and as a skeleton crew. The town consisted of eighteen families, many unemployed, a fraction of the one thousand or so who once lived here. All mining opera- tions were halted in 1957 and the last workers were forced to seek employment elsewhere.
In 1961 the pumps which kept the huge quarry pump- ed free of water ceased operation, and as the quarry filled
with seventy feet of water, it was realized that Billmeyer was now a part of history. Today the narrow, winding road leading down to the quarry is blocked off from public use. Some of the equipment, a few buildings, and the remnants of the many dwellings along with the bare quarries are all that remain of this once thriving business and company town.
Scott School (built 1811) ruins still standing at south end of Falmouth
Schools
Shortly after the town of Bainbridge was laid out, a school was built there. The Bainbridge school house went through quite a transformation to the present. Built in 1820, the first one was on Arch Street, one-half block below the present-day Lutheran Church. This was a three story brick building with a dome that housed a bell. The first two floors had two rooms each. Elementary grades were taught on the lower floor and secondary classes on the second floor. The third story was a large one-room town hall. Each room had its own individual heating sys- tem - the pot bellied stove. Drinking water was carried in by children from town wells. Since there was no uniform curriculum, teachers chose the subjects and books to be used and parents bought the textbooks in town, usually from John Rich's store on South Race Street. Sal- aries were low: for example, Mrs. Fortin's salary in the 1890's was listed at $35 per month, and one year she had 66 pupils! The school term had an abrupt end in March, 1896. An overheated stove in one room started a fire that leveled the entire building. A volunteer bucket brigade labored vainly to contain the fire but a small house nearby also went up in flames.
The second Bainbridge school was built directly over the foundation of the first; this one containing a hot-air furnace in the basement. In 1920, for the first time, child- ren were transported to the high school when George Rutherford hauled in ten pupils by truck. Later, Ruther- ford was owner and operator of Conoy Twp. school bus service for 34 years, and the service was extended to cover
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Bainbridge High School built 1920 - destroyed by fire 1934
all grades. A two-story 6 room annex was added in 1928 and electric lights were added for the first time. However, early in the morning of Jan. 20, 1934, at 16 degrees below zero, the school caught fire again. By 8 o'clock in the morning it was a blazing inferno and spectators stood by helplessly. Only a few items were saved from the burning building. Grades 1-2, 5-6, then met in the old fire hall. The 3rd and 4th grades used the old drug store at the pres- ent barber shop, and the 7th and 8th grades met at the old 2nd Street band hall. Grades 9-11 were transported to the Masonic Homes at Patton School. Teachers at this time were Miss Ruth Kurtz, Mrs. Helen Hamor, Miss Josephine Beshler, Ross Houseal, Miss Verna Peck - Prin- cipal, and Miss Naomi Demmy, assistant.
Land, meanwhile, was purchased at the upper end of town and a new building was ready for occupancy in Sep- tember, 1934. New conveniences included a steam heat- ing system, ventilators, electric bells, and drinking foun- tains. Dressing rooms and showers were in the basement. In 1936 a cafeteria was added in the basement. With two cooks hired, lunches were served at 10 cents each! In 1955
Bainbridge Elementary School built 1934
Bainbridge High School students were transferred to Elizabethtown, all the country schools in the township were closed, and the Bainbridge school, as it does today, served as the elementary school for the entire township.
The Bainbridge school was certainly not the only school in the township, although it was the only high school. But there were several country "grammar" schools constructed in the 1800's. In 1842, at the creation of Conoy Twp., the first school board met and adopted the Pa. Free Public School Act of 1834. Prior to this time any schools in existence were privately financed and often handled by religious groups. Perhaps an important factor in making this decision was the death of John Scott, a wealthy Donegal Twp. Presbyterian bachelor. True to the Scotch-Irish devotion to education, he willed the proceeds
for the estate to Donegal education. $1,234 of this money was used in Conoy Township. Thus, in 1844, four new schools were built in Conoy Twp., each one costing about 250 dollars. The Public School Act also provided for a public tax for the first time to support the school system. New schools built in Conoy Twp. that year were located at Collins, Ebersoles, Ridgeville, and Kob's on the Fal- mouth-Elizabethtown pike.
The Wickersham School, located near Stackstown, was probably built later, (perhaps around 1860), as it was a well-built 2 story brick building costing $5,500. It had two rooms and two teachers and was named in honor of J.P. Wickersham, the first superintendent of schools in Lancaster County, and later, the U.S. ambassador to Denmark.
Wickersham School - (no longer standing)
The Ebersole School was located about halfway be- tween W. Donegal Twp. and the river and midway be- tween Falmouth and Bainbridge along the Good's Church Road. The building standing today was constructed in 1880 replacing a brick one built with Scott funds in 1844. The original Ebersole school was a log structure dating back to 1800. An old map of 1864 indicates that most of the settlers of this area were surnamed Ebersole.
Ebersole School built about 1800, picture 1900 - (no longer standing)
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Steven's Hill School - Falmouth Pike
Lincoln School in use till about 1925-26
School building used prior to Lincoln School. Standing several hundred feet north on route 441.
Falmouth School in use till about 1923-24
The Stevens Hill School also occupied three struc- tures in its history. The first structure stood at the foot of the mill road near the covered bridge. Money for this building was given by the local inhabitants of this sparsely settled area, before the Free School Act was passed. Jacob Olweiler was one of the first settlers in this area around 1765. He was a member of the Maytown Lutheran Church, a strong believer in education, and a liberal con- tributor to the first school. The school received the name "Kobs" after one of the families prominent in the area. The second building, also known as Kob's, was located on the same spot as the present school building but closer to the highway. Money for this school came from the Scott fund and was built in 1844. The present "Stevens Hill" school was constructed in 1882. The name Stevens was attributed in honor of Thaddeus Stevens who was promi- nent in education in Pennsylvania. Abandoned in 1954, the school is now owned by Richard Myers. Names of people prominent in this region in the 1800's include the Kobs, Swans, Achermans, Dennisons, Heiseys, Bryans, and O'Neals. The last teacher of the school was Mrs. Davida Libhart.
One of the oldest schools was the Scott school built near Falmouth in 1811. The building still stands along Rt. 441 although it is in disrepair. Other schools recorded in Conoy Township included the Lincoln School, along the Old River Road, (Rt 441), a Falmouth school, and a Bill- meyer school.
Many of the old one-room buildings still stand as monuments of Conoy Twp. early history and the people's devotion to education.
Churches
1. Methodists
The first religious group to have a church in Bain- bridge was the Methodists. The Methodist-Episcopal Church dates back to 1827 when a few faithful followers of John Wesley built a church on the site now occupied by the Lutherans. Some of these earliest members include John Murphy, Elizabeth Esworthy, John White, a Mrs. Lytle, John Jones, James Hawthorne, Eliza Galbraith, Aunty Horst, Angeline Smith, John Markley, and Henry Haldeman, the son of John Haldeman in Locust Grove. Henry Haldeman was in good financial standing and upon his shoulders rested the burden of paying for the building. However the records indicate that friction arose between Haldeman and the rest of the congregation, and the former closed the doors on the congregation. In 1839 he sold the building to the Lutheran and Reformed societies. The Methodists were thus without a building for some time, holding meetings in private homes, in an old stone house, or in John Murphy's cooper shop. At any rate the small group persisted until 1844 when they were able to raise a one-story frame building on Race Street, the site of the present church. Soon a considerable number of mem- bers were added to the congregation. In 1866 they added a second floor for church services and held Sunday School
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Ludwig United Methodist Church - Bainbridge
services on the first floor. In 1882 it was again remodeled and repaired.
During March of 1896 the church was partially de- stroyed by fire. The question now arose: should it be re- paired or should a new structure of a more modern design be built? After some deliberation a new structure was begun. Ten months later a new church was completed and dedicated at the same site, the total cost of construction and furnishing being $7,750. This church building is pres- ently in use today. The church seating capacity is esti- mated at about 150 and its active members now number about 50. The building contains a Sunday School to the rear and a social hall in the basement.
The parish organization has had a varied history. At one time the Bainbridge church was part of the Susque- hanna Circuit, which included Methodist churches from Marietta, Mount Joy, Safe Harbor, Millersville, and Washington Boro. Following this arrangement until 1863 it was in the Marietta circuit. From 1843-1853 the Fal- mouth Methodists were connected with the Bainbridge church. Then from 1863-1933 Bainbridge remained a separate charge. In 1933 it united with the Washington Boro congregation and became part of that charge. In 1948 Bainbridge and Marietta Methodists united in a larger parish and it is this organization in which the Bainbridge United Methodist Church now participates.
In 1918 Mrs. Florence Weseman did bequeath to the Methodist Church her property on Race Street to be used as a parsonage. In 1924 this property was sold and the present parsonage on Second Street was bought.
The official name of the church is Ludwig United Methodist Church. It now has 149 years of active history in Bainbridge. The pastor, at present, is Rev. Arthur B. Schirmer who resides in the Marietta parsonage. The local congregation is a member of the Lancaster District in the Eastern Pa. Conference.
2. Church of God
The Church of God in Bainbridge is one of the oldest ones in existence. It had its origin in 1832 through preach- ing conducted by Elders E. H. Thomas and John Keller. In February, 1833, prayer meetings were begun at the home of John McNeil, who conducted a tavern along the canal. By 1837 there were 18 members of the local congregation embracing this faith. In 1838 occasional services were held in the Lutheran Church, but some opposition caused this to be discontinued and the group was forced to meet wherever they could-in a barn, orchard, private homes, even McNeil's bar room. In 1838 they attached them- selves to the Dauphin and Lancaster Circuit and were thus visited regularly with circuit preachers.
In late 1841 a great revival lasting several weeks was held, with Elder John Winebrenner, founding father of the faith, present. With an additional 45 converts, and a throng of some 3000 witnesses at the river baptism, the members now considered it imperative to have their own building. In March of 1842 the church formally organized, elected officers, and organized a building committee. In Dec., 1842, a frame "meeting house" was erected on a riverfront site donated by Frederick Hipple. Elder David Kyle was appointed to the circuit of Bainbridge and Eliza- bethtown in 1846, which was then called the "Bainbridge Circuit." The Church Eldership also was convened at Bainbridge in 1860.
Church of God - Bainbridge
As time went on, the first church structure became outdated, and with its location being no longer desirable, another building committee was established. A plot of ground was donated in the center of town (the present location) by George Bean, and in 1878-79 a new church
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