USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Centennial : the settlement, formation and progress of Dauphine County, Pennsylvania, from 1785 to 1876 > Part 11
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
LINGLESTOWN
Is one of the most ancient towns in the county, having been laid out as early as the year 1765, by Thomas Lin- gle, who called the place St. Thomas. It is located in the north-eastern part of Middle Paxton township, on the road leading from the Susquehanna river to Jonestown. The site is the centre of a highly productive agricultural re- gion, and the surrounding scenery is unsurpassable in picturesque beauty. The town, owing to its isolated po- sition, makes no pretensions as a manufacturing centre. In 1860 Dr. W. E. Smith laid out an addition south of the town, which is gradually being improved. A handsome cemetery is located near the town, which contains a monu- ment twenty-five high erected by the citizens to the mem- ory of the dead who fell in the late civil war. The Boston and South Mountain Railroad runs through the town, which when completed and in operation will give a great impetus to the business operations of the place.
HALIFAX
Is pleasantly located on the Susquehanna river, seven- teen miles from Harrisburg. It was laid out by George Shaeffer and Peter Rise in 1794, but the deed was recorded by Philip Brindle and John Norton, attor- neys for George Winters on the 8th of May, 1794. It was named after Fort Halifax. The town is beauti- fully situated in Armstrong's valley, the Wisconisco ca- nal and Northern Central Railroad, passing between it and the river. Opposite the town is an island noted for an Indian mound, which according to Indian tradition con- tains the remains of many Indians.
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LYKENS.
The town of Lykens was laid out by Edward Gratz, and surveyed by David Hoffman in 1848. It is situated in and is the principal trading centre of Wisconisco town- ship. There was a settlement here previous to this which increased rapidly in commercial importance upon and after the discovery of coal in the vicinity.
Wisconisco, Williamstown, Baldwin, Gratz, Rockville, Coxestown, Berrysburg, Uniontown, Jacksonville, Fish- erville, Enders, Enterline, Elizabethville, Williamstown, Bachmanville, Union Deposit, Manada Hill, are also im- portant towns and villages, whose thrifty and enterpris- ing citizens are annually developing new resources and adding to the aggregate wealth of the county.
APPENDIX.
In every section of Dauphin county, the one hundreth anniversary of American Independence was celebrated with a degree of enthusiasm scarcely equaled since In- dependence bell "proclaimed liberty throughout all the land" in 1776. Nothing was more proper than this out- burst of patriotism. It was a just tribute of respect and regard for our country-and our county-a suitable ac- knowledgment for the virtue, intelligence, good order, prosperity and happiness, which have always prevailed with us as a people. No county in the Commonwealth has been more largely blessed in these respects, none has ever existed, whose history in these particulars is more bright or honorable. Dauphin county occupies a proud position and enjoys an honorable fame. It was right to stop at this point in its progress-the termination of the first and the commencement of the second century of the existence of the National Government-and take a survey of it in the past, to review its leading features and events, to render appropriate honor to those who participated in them, and indulge in the congratulations which such a survey is calculated to inspire.
In the city of Harrisburg, and the boroughs of Lykens, Millersburg and Middletown, the celebration embraced civic parades, orations and displays of fireworks. The parade in Harrisburg was gotten up under the immediate auspices of the Odd Fellows and Fire Department, and as a local editor remarks, the large number that partici- pated, and the completeness of arrangements, has never had a parallel in the city. About two hours and a half were
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consumed in marching over the long route, and at all points the procession was warmly greeted by the large crowds of people who witnessed the spectacle. The day dawned most auspiciously, the sun rising with scarcely a cloud to intercept its gleams. The rain of the previous day had settled the dust on the streets and put them in excellent condition for marching. The city presented a beautiful appearance in its patriotic dress, large arches and flags spanning the principal streets, and thousands of smaller flags waving from windows of private residences and other points. The display of bunting was the most ex- tensive ever witnessed at the capital of the State, and was the subject of much approving comment."
After the conclusion of the parade a meeting was or- ganized in the hall of the House of Representatives for the purpose of hearing a number of local addresses read. Mr. A. Boyd Hamilton, President of the Dauphin County Historical Society, announced that the proceed- ings would open with prayer, which was then offered by Rev. Dr. Swartz, of the First Lutheran Church.
Mr. S. D. Ingram read the Declaration of Indepen- dence.
Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Robinson then delivered the fol- lowing address:
THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.
One hundred years ago the civilized settlements of our country were mainly confined to a narrow strip of terri- tory along the Atlantic coast. The traveler who ventured from the seaside soon found himself approaching the boundaries of the white population. Civilization had only brightened the eastern edges of our great land, and
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kindled a fire here and there in the deeper forests. This region of the Susquehanna was, at the time of the revo- lution, on the frontier. Through the district of the Cum- berland valley, now filled with a population of about two hundred and fifty thousand, there was then a scattered people not exceeding forty thousand in number.
A few settlements had been made up the Susquehanna and along its north and west branches, the region of the Juniata was opened, and some settlers had crossed the Alleghenies on their pack horses, and built their homes in the western part of the State. As early indeed as 1720, traders and settlers were pushing their way out into the grand forests along our noble river, and when the war of the revolution began there were men enough who sprung to arms, to form some of the bravest regi- ments of the times. But the country was still primitive, and the type of manners and customs of education and religion, partook of the characteristics of an early time and a hardy race. Dauphin county had not yet been or- ganized but was included in Lancaster.
The man who seeks to comprehend the history of this country or any section of it, should know that the Amer- ican people at their birth were emphatically a religious people. It was largely for religion and its rights that they braved the seas and came hither to plant their new gov- ernment in this western world. They were not adven- turers seeking the excitements of a strange land, or speculators in search of an El Dorado of gold. They wanted to serve God freely and intelligently, and scarce- ly, therefore, was the humble cabin of the original settler erected, before the school house and the church were built. Education and Christianity were among the first necessities.
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Throughout this entire region, from the Alleghenies eastward to the Susquehanna, and still eastward to the line of the counties adjoining our own, the bulk of the earliest settlers were of that class now familiarly known as the Scotch-Irish. This people took to the frontiers, and in the Indian wars stood as a bulwark of protection for the eastern part of the colony. It has only been in later years that they have been gradually and peaceably displaced by the sturdy and solid Germans.
It so happened, therefore, from the race of people who settled here, that the first churches organized within the limits of Dauphin county were Calvinistic. They were
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES OF DERRY, PAXTON AND HANOVER.
These all date back prior to the year 1730, although Hanover had no settled pastor until 1738, when the Rev. Richard Sanckey was settled over the church. The first pastor of the united churches of Derry and Paxton was the Rev. William Bertram, who took charge of them in 1732. Prior to this last date the people of this region were dependent for the preaching of the gospel upon the ministers of the churches in the region further east- ward. For fully one hundred and twenty years these three old churches of Derry, Paxton and Hanover flour- ished in their strength, filling up an eventful and honor- able history. The old Derry church has the honor of being the pioneer church of the county. The venerable building, constructed of oak logs two feet thick and cov- ered with hemlock boards on the outside, is still standing. It was erected as early as 1720. The congregation that worshiped in it lies buried in the ivy grown graveyard by its side or in others in distant parts of the land. But
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one of the three early churches now survives-Paxton.
The original settlers and their children are gone, and the churches of other denominations occupy the ground. The first Presbyterian organization within the limits of Harrisburg was in 1794, and the first settled pastor was the Rev. Nathaniel R. Snowden. At a very early date there was a Presbyterian church in Upper Paxton. Its building stood on the hill back of the village of Dauphin. The leading ministers of the Presbyterian church in this county in the past were the Revs. John Elder, John Roan, Richard Sanckey and William R. DeWitt, D. D. There are now in the county eight churches of the Presbyterian order, with two or three mission stations. Five of these churches are in the city of Harrisburg. There is now a church membership in the Presbyterian churches of the county of about 1,400, a Sunday school membership of 2,500, sittings in their churches for about 3,500 peo- ple. Their Sunday schools number IO.
THE REFORMED CHURCH.
The Reformed church was second in date of organiza- tion, a church having been started in Derry in the year 1768. Soon after the laying out of the town of Harris- burg in the year 1785, the settlers who were composed of several denominations, took measures to build a church, and when it was built in 1787, clergymen of dif- ferent denominations, by permission, officiated in it. The building was, however. owned an occupied regularly by the German Reformed and Lutheran congregations. These two bodies used it jointly, each, however, electing their own church officers, trustees, elders and deacons.
In 1795 the two churches separated, but continued their worship in the same building, until the year 1814.
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The building became the exclusive property of the Re- formed church in 1816. It was the first church building erected in Harrisburg, and stood on the corner of Third street and Cherry alley, near the Salem Reformed church of the present day. Prior to 1786 the early settlers of Harrisburg held divine worship in a one story log school house which stood at the foot of capitol hill, on the north corner of Third and Walnut streets, which is still stand- ing on the south side of Walnut street, between sixth and Canal.
The Rev. Anthony Hautz, of the Reformed church was the first settled pastor within the limits of Harris- burg, being here from about 1790 to 1797. Eleven pas- tors have succeeded him in the care of the church, among them the two Helfensteins, Rev. Dr. Zacharias, Rev. Dr. J. F. Mesick and Rev. David Gans. The Reformed church has grown rapidly since that early day, and has now organizations in nearly every township and district of the county, having according to some late statement, about thirty church organizations and preaching stations, and a seating capacity in their church edifices for nearly 1 4,000 people.
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The Lutheran church was the third in date of organi- zation in the county, having begun an enterprise in Hum- melstown as early as 1753. In 1787, as already stated, the Lutherans of the town of Harrisburg united with the members of the Reformed church in erecting and occu- pying the first church building in our present city limits. In 1814 they withdrew and purchased a lot on Fourth street and erected a church edifice of their own, and beside it a large two-story brick school house.
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Their first pastor was the Rev. F. D. Schaeffer, who began to preach in and around Harrisburg in 1788.
Their first stationed pastor was the Rev. Henry Mueller, who began his labors in 1795. He has been succeeded by a number of earnest and able men, among whom may be named the Lochmans, Rev. Dr. C. W. Schaeffer, Rev. Dr. C. A. Hay and Rev. Dr. G. F. Stelling. The Lutheran church is progressing rapidly in the county. New church- es are being erected; its membership increases ; its Sun- day schools are large and flourishing. According to a late report there are now thirty-six organizations in the county, and room in its church edifices for over ten thou- sand people.
The three bodies, the Presbyterian, the Reformed and the Lutheran seem to have been the only religious bodies that had any position and regularly organized existence in the county prior to the year 1800.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
In the summer of 1801 the Rev. William Rose, an Irishman, organized some classes and preaching appoint- ments for the M. E. Church in the upper end of the county, one at Halifax, another at Millersburg, and a third up Lykens Valley. Here began the Methodism of the county. The first Methodist families in the county are said to have been residents of Halifax. Harrisburg became, however, a preaching station as early a 1802.
The Rev. Jacob Gruber, was appointed on the circuit as early as 1802 and preached at this point. The first society formed in Harrisburg was in 1810. The present fine edifice on State street is the outgrowth of the feeble band of 1802. With characteristic zeal and energy this church has pushed its conquests until to-day ; it has nearly
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or quite 25 organizations in the county, a church mem- bership of probably 2,500 to 3,000, about 4,000 children in its Sunday schools, and churches that will seat 6,000 people.
THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
As early as 1766, this church had a mission station at Estherton, two miles above Harrisburg, as a few families of that church were residing there, but no church build- ing was erected. It was not until 1826 that a congregation was formed in the county, the present St. Stephen's church of this city. The congregation worshiped for a time in the building already mentioned, on the corner of Third street and Cherry alley, which was built by the people of the Reformed and Lutheran church. The first rector of the church was the Rev. Mr. Clemson. Among his successors have been those who were greatly honor- ed in this community. The number of church organiza- tions in the county at this date is five.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The first congregation organized of this church in the county was within the present limits of the city of Har- risburg. As early, however, as 1810, the ground now owned by them on Allison's Hill was in their possession, and the Jesuit Fathers visited the place and had minis- trations. There also was their first graveyard. At a later date the property came into the hands of William Allison, but in subsequent years was re-acquired by the Catholics, and is now held by them. The first church edifice erected by them was begun in 1826, under the superintendence of the Rev. Michael Curran. It was the original of the present pro-Cathedral on State street.
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The Rev. P. Maher was for nearly 35 years the offi- ciating minister of this church, and will be kindly remem- bered by persons of all denominations. The present bishopric was formed in 1868. The church is in a flour- ishing state, having a large membership and an excellent Sunday school. There are several other organizations of this church in the city and county.
THE BETHEL, OR "CHURCH OF GOD."
This religious body originated in this county. Its founder was the Rev. John Winebrenner, who withdrew from the Reformed Church and began a new organiza- tion in 1827. Their first church building was erected in Mulberry street between Front and Second streets, oc- cupying the grounds where now stands the city hospital. This church has pushed its work vigorously, and now claims some fifteen or sixteen organizations in the county. Its energy in the work of Sunday schools is worthy of all praise.
BAPTIST AND FREE BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The Baptist church made its first organization on the 2d of April, 1830, in a building known as the Unitarian Church, which has since passed out of existence with the people that built it. The Rev. Dyer A. Nichols was the first pastor of the enterprise. There are at present sev- eral organizations in the county of the Baptist order, about a dozen. . Their churches would accommodate about 3,000 hearers.
During the last half century several other Protestant denominations have formed churches in the city and county and are pushing forward their Christian work with great devotion and success. Among them may be
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
mentioned the United Brethren, whose first organization in Dauphin county was about 1800. They have now 38 churches, about 2400 church members; Sunday schools with a membership of 2700 scholars and teachers. The Evangelical Association, organized about the same time; the Wesley Union church about the year 1830.
Our Jewish brethren have also their synagogues, the first of which was formed about 1854.
How great the contrast between those early days, and these would take longer time to depict than is alloted me to-day. In 1776 this district, now Dauphin county, had within its borders about 10,000 inhabitants. To-day it has fully 70,000. In 1776 Harrisburg was but a trading post, to-day it is a city of nearly 30,000. In 1776 there were three strong country churches-Derry, Paxton and Hanover, and a few other preaching stations. To-day we have in this city alone over forty churches, and in the county between one hundred and fifty and two hundred.
Moved by a generous rivalry and working in the spirit of noble harmony, these Christian Churches have gone forth to possess every part of our county and to carry the gospel with its light and salvation to every home. Not only has this Christian civilization filled our city and surrounding villages, and dotted over the whole county with these houses of holy worship, but it has given us all other needed benevolent institutions. The religious bodies, Protestant and Catholic, have kept pace with the increasing population and have anticipated it in provid- ing the means and the places for religious culture.
Great as has been the progress of population in the country from the year 1776 to the present, it has been far outstripped by the growth of the churches. In 1776 there were less than 1,950 evangelical churches in the
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United States; according to the census of 1870 there were then over 72,000. The population in a century in- creased only thirteen fold, the churches increased over thirty six fold. In 1790 there was one evangelical min- ister for every 2,000 of the people, while now there is one for about every 700. In 1790 there were five mem- bers of evangelical churches for every 100 of popula- tion; there are now eighteen for every 100.
In 1776 there were no Bible, tract or missionary socie- ties; not a single religious newspaper published in the land, nor any house for the publication of religious liter- ature, nor even the publication of religious books to any extent. Our orphan asylums, schools of reform, Chris- tian associations, temperance societies, etc., etc., etc., are all of later date. Truly, the Church of God moves onward.
There are but few districts in our great country that are better provided than our own county with the varied advantages of intellectual and religious culture. Our churches are multiplying. The great body of our peo- ple are law-abiding, upright and moral. The Sabbath, Bible, the Church and the agencies of Christianity are honored among us.
When we look back one hundred years and more to the days of our fathers and of the early pioneers of this region, how changed the aspect. The victories of peace have long ago effaced the sad memorials of a war that filled many a lowly cabin with horror. The banks of this broad and placid stream, where once rang the war- whoop of the savage, and where broken families gather- ed in groups to mourn over their slaughtered dead, now smile with orchards and teeming harvests and gardens, with workshops, and villages, and happy homes.
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Here, where once was carnage, no sounds prevail but the hum of industry, of peaceful life and joy. When we look upon this beautiful region with its streams and mountains, its cultivated farms, its railroads and manu- factories, its flourishing towns and villages, its institutions of learning and of charity, its multiplied and stately church edifices, and all the indications of the social, in- tellectual and moral condition of its people, and recall that just one hundred years ago our fathers, clad in their linsey woolsey or in their buckskin, with their powder horns at their side and their flint-lock muskets, were pouring forth to join the army of the Revolution, going forth from the lowly homes where they had prayed, and the churches where they had worshiped to fight in a cause that no men understood better than did they, we ask ourselves anew, Do we not owe a debt of grateful mem- ory to them, and of largest thanksgiving to God, for the lives they lived and the work they did for us and for our children after us ? Let us not stint our gratitude to the men who planted in the wilderness homes where intelli- gence and enterprise and religion were all nourished.
They were men who spared no cost in preparing the way for more peaceful and happy times. Let us not think lightly of the men who opened out these unbroken forests, who broke up the virgin soil of these valleys, who reared cabins for Christian households, who taught their sons to love freedom, to contend for the right and re- vere the God of their fathers. They were no ordinary men, they brought here the spirit of liberty fresh and warm in their hearts.
They sought to lay deep and broad the foundation for righteous ages after them. They learned their political creed as they learned their religion, from the Bible-that
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Bible which says, "The truth shall make you free." And nearly every man of them who was able to bear arms and endure a soldier's life, entered into the service of his country. And two years before the Declaration of In- dependence was proclaimed, the men of this county as- sembled June 4, 1774, at Hanover, and among other resolutions, passed the following:
"Resolved, That in the event of Great Britain attempt- ing to force unjust laws upon us by strength of arms, our cause we leave to heaven and our rifles."
We are living in the past to-day. We are recalling the eventful times, the thrilling adventures, the heroic endurance, the toils and self denials, the services and the virtues of our fathers. And we rightly say this large, rich present is not what we have made it. These things around us are their achievement. But now what is to be the practical outcome of all that we have, and learn and feel to-day? What good is it to have had such fathers if we to-day are not worthy of them?
What glory to us to look back into such a radiant past, if we are going to mar all the picture by not imitating them and carrying on their work? If they who had so little, did so much for truth, for country, for us and for God, what shall be the measure of our doing who are so rich and strong?
Our opportunity of doing good and blessing men are to theirs as our railroads to the Indian trails and moun- tain bridle paths; as the electric telegraph to the old stage coach; as the modern mower and reaper to the old fashioned scythe; as the steam engine to the slow moving water wheel ; as the mighty trip hammers of our steel works to the light blows of some village blacksmith.
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The voices of the past summon us to duty. The men who founded school and church within the sound of the Indians' war-whoop, charge us to make the future as much greater and fairer than the present, as the present is richer and greater in all the achievements of art, and the blessings of freedom and religion, than the past.
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