USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Centennial : the settlement, formation and progress of Dauphine County, Pennsylvania, from 1785 to 1876 > Part 7
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THE PATRIOTISM OF OUR PEOPLE.
The citizens of Dauphin county have always evinced a spirit of genuine patriotism, and have never been tardy in responding to the calls of our government for men and money in times of necessity. We have already alluded to the action of our people during the Revolutionary war. The same fervid patriotism animated the citizens of Dauphin county during the existence of the difficulties between the American government and the French Di- rectory in 1797. At least two military companies from this county offered their services on that occasion to the general government.
During the "Whisky insurrection," in the western part of the State, an entire regiment was recruited in the county for service under the general government.
In 1812 thirteen full companies marched to the defence of Baltimore.
A company composed of nearly one hundred mem- bers, styled the Cameron Guards, in honor of Gen. Simon Cameron, were enrolled on the 20th of December, 1846, who joined the army and participated in many of the hard-fought battles during the war with Mexico.
During the great civil war, Harrisburg, as the capital of the State, was an important point in many respects. The first military camp in the United States, under the President's call, was located here, and named Camp Cur- tin, in honor of the then Chief Magistrate of the State. As such it became widely known. The first public meet- ing held after the firing upon Fort Sumter was held in
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
the court house, Gen. Simon Cameron presiding. The county of Dauphin quickly tendered men and money to the government, and in that bitter, deadly strife fur- nished its full quota of volunteers. Twice Harrisburg was the objective point of the Confederate troops; and at one time, June, 1863, the enemy's pickets were within two miles of the city. Active preparations were made for the defence of the capital of the State. The bluff of the river opposite the city was fortified and called Fort Washington; rifle pits were dug along the river to command the fording place in front of Harris Park, and every preparation made to give the enemy a warm re- ception. Fortunately the victory of the Union army at Gettysburg checked the further advance of the Confed- erates, and with it their last attempt to invade the North.
After the battles of Antietem and Gettysburg, many wounded soldiers of both armies were brought to Harris- burg, and school houses and church buildings were trans- formed into temporary hospitals. The charity of the cit- izens of Harrisburg, and of the entire county, in these trying hours was unbounded. A Soldier's Rest was erect- ed near the railroad depots, by several prominent gentle- men, where the maimed and sick soldier on his way homeward found refreshments always ready. Thou- sands in this way were kindly ministered to.
Dauphin county lost about six hundred of her citizen soldiers; in every cemetery and graveyard within its limits lie their honored remains, while in the cemetery at Harrisburg the grass grows green alike over the graves of Union and of Confederate soldiers from far-off States. In all the struggles for liberty, for right, and for the in- tegrity of the Union, Dauphin county has been in the van.
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
RELIGIOUS PROGRESS IN THE COUNTY.
It is scarcely within our province to become the eccle- siastical historian of the county; and yet the true charac- ter and condition of a people cannot well be understood without some study of their religious state.
Religious tolerance was almost paramount to all other aims and objects held in view by the early settlers of Dauphin county. Lutherans, Scotch-Irish, Quakers, Hu- guenots, etc., mingled together, and worshiped God as the common Father of all. The congregations were insulated, and shut out from the disturbing controversies which agitated some other portions of the colony. The pastors had sought the retired parishes here in the hills and valleys, without much pride of learning and without ambitious views. Their influence was paternal; the eloquence of their example was more potent than the eloquence of the pulpit. There was no affectation of se- riousness in the assembly of parishioners-no mannerism of worship. The thought of nothing in fact, save what met their intelligence, and entered into them by that method. They were like men who had a digestion for strong meat, and had no conception that trifles more delicate could be of account as religious food. Nothing was dull that had matter in it-nothing long that had not exhausted the matter. True, there was a rigor in their piety, a want, perhaps, of gentle feeling; their Christian graces were of a cast-iron nature, answering with a hard, metallic ring. But they stood the rough wear of frontier life none the less durably, for the excessive hardness of their temperament, kept their families, and communed
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none the less truly, though it may be less benignly, under the sense of deep religious feeling. If we at this day find something to modify, or soften, in their over-rigid notions of Christian living, it is yet something to know that what we are they have made us, and that when we have done better for the ages that come after us, we shall have a more cer- tain right to blame their austerities. View them as we may, there is yet, and always will be, something magnifi- cent in their stern, practical fidelity to their principles. We confess that we recall the honest, faithful days of the early settlers-days when men's lives went by their con- sciences as their clocks did by the sun-with a feeling of profound reverence. It is more than respectable-it is sublime. If we find a more liberal way, and think we are safe in it, or if we are actually so, we can never yet break loose from a willing respect to their inflexible, majestic, paternity of truth and godliness.
To avoid a needless repetition we refer the reader to a brief history of the rise and progress of the several re- ligious denominations in the county, from the pen of Rev. Thomas H. Robinson, D. D., which will be found in the Appendix to this review.
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
EDUCATION.
The early settlers of Dauphin county were not un- mindful of the advantages of education, and a number of schools were established for the benefit of their children. The schoolmaster in those days did not exactly go about fit out the children's minds with learning as the shoe- maker often did to fit their feet with shoes, or the tailors to measure and cut for their bodies; but to come as near it as possible, he very often boarded round, and the wood for the common fire was supplied in a way equally primi- tive, viz: by a contribution of loads from the several fam- ilies, according to their several quantities of childhood. The children were all clothed alike in homespun; and the only signs of aristocracy were, that some were clean and some a degree less so, some in fine white and striped linen and some in brown tow crash. The good fathers of some testified the opinion they had of their children by bringing fine round loads of hickory wood to warm them, while some others brought only scanty, scraggy, ill-look- ing heaps of green oak, white birch or hemlock. Indeed, about all the inequality among the children centered in the quality of the wood-pile. There was no com- plaint in those days of the want of ventilation; for the large, open fire-place held a considerable fraction of a cord of wood, and the windows took in just enough of air to supply the combustion. Beside, the larger lads were occasionally ventilated, by being sent out to cut wood enough to keep the fire in action. The seats were made of the outer slabs from the saw mill, supported by slant
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
legs driven into and a proper distance through auger holes, and planed smooth on the top by the rather tardy process of friction. But the spelling went on bravely, and the lads ciphered again and again, always till they got through Loss and Gain. The more advanced of the scholars, too, made light work of Lindley Murray, and went on to the parsing, finally of extracts from Shakes- peare and Milton, till some of them began to think they had mastered their tough sentences, in a more conse- quential sense of the term than was exactly true.
As early as 1786, just one year after the erection of the county-the inhabitants of Harrisburg, in order to assist in bringing into effect the intentions of John Harris, who had granted the rents, issues and profits of his ferry across the river for the endowment of an English and German academy in that town, entered into the following agreement:
We, the subscribers, do each of us for ourselves promise to pay, or cause to be paid, to John Hoge, Mo- ses Gilmor, Conrad Bombaugh and John Brooks, or their order upon demand, the sums annexed to each of our names respectively, to be applied by them in pur- chasing materials for and in building a school house in one corner of the public ground in the town of Harris- burg.
In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, with the sums annexed, this 20th day of April, 1786 :
Historical Sketch of Dauphin County. 93
€ d.
John Harris. 5
10
William Brown.
8 4
William Speigel. 1 10 0
Andrew Stewart. 7
6
George Fridley. 10 0
Ephraim Hunter 5 0
George Le Ru. 7
G
Francis Le Ru.
6
Richard King 8
4
Andrew Coulter 18
4
Michael Kapp 10
0
James Stewart 7
6
George Hoyer. 7
6 Alex. Graydon 1 10 0
Christian Kunkle.
6 Joseph Montgomery 3 00 0
David Jordan 1 00 0
Adam Kuertzer 10
0
John Hamilton. 1 10
0
John A. Hanna. 10 10
John Joseph Henry. 1
2
Thomas Forster. 10
0
Jonathan Hudson.
10
0
William Maclay ..
8 4
Stephen Stevenson. 15 0 William M'Croskey.
Jacob Weaver. 15 0
Samuel Berryhill.
Jolın Rietsworth. 10
0)
Francis Furguson. 10
0
Alexander Barr 7
6 John Norton. 1
2 6
James Duncan
15
0 John M'Gafog
7
6
Mathew Adams
6
Aaron Wright. 7
6
George Allen ..
7
6
Noah Chamberlin.
Robert Stevenson.
6 George Hoak.
Alex. and William Power. .1
2
6
Stewart Williams. 7 G
John Boyd. 7
John M'Chesney
Alex. Porter
15
0
Robert Ramsey.
10
()
John Hursha. .
15
0
Adam Boyd
1 10 0
George Devebaugh
John Galbraith
Joseph Lytle ..
5
0
Jacob Geiger
George Reddick
Henry Fulton 11
3
Richard Dixon
8
4
Andrew Armstrong. 10
0
Edward Burke.
5
0
John Eppert . 7
0
Peter Graybill.
15 0
Buckler I. Smith.
8
4 6
Moses Gilmor 1 10 0
Levi Hollingsworth.
6
David Ritchie.
Adam Hocker. 1
2
6
Walter Clark.
John Hocker
15
0
William Glass
Malcolm Boyce. 15 0
James Sayers.
Dennis Sweeney.
6
NOTE .- The names to which no sums are attached paid either in material or labor.
The following additional subscribers are recorded in 1791, five years after the first subscription:
€ s. d.
£ s. d.
John Luther ..
6
Robert Harris.
7
6
Anthony Sayfort.
7
6
David Vogelsong
7
6
John Dentzel.
7
6
Robert Barr .. 7
6
David Harris.
10 0 David Conner 7
6
Stacy Potts.
6
Henry Benner
G
Geo. Fisher
6
Eli Lewis .
6
Wm. Graydon.
6
0 Wm. Diven. 8
4
Samuel Grimes
15
0 Alex. Berryhill.
Jacob Zollinger. 5
6
William Murray.
John Davis .. 10
0
James M'Namara 15
0
William Philips. 7
6
Henry Wingert.
Jolın Hoge. 1 00 0
David M'Mullen. 7
13
s. d.
Thomas Kelso, (a quantity of limestone).
Clunie && Kean. 1 10 0
9 Faughney C. Farrel .1
2 6
6
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
The first trustees of the academy were John A. Hanna, John Hamilton and John Kean. The trustees for 1791 were John A. Hanna, John Kean, John Dentzel, Stacy Potts and Adam Boyd. The following is the preamble of the constitution adopted by the subscribers to the academy fund:
"WHEREAS, The prosperity and happiness of the free and independent citizens of the United States in a great measure depends on the proper cultivation and improve- ment of the minds of the young and rising generations, whereby they may be qualified to perform their respective duties in civil society as well as the more important obli- gations of religion: wherefore, we, the citizens of Harris- burg, in the State of Pennsylvania, in order to establish a seminary of useful learning have by voluntary contribu- tions built a school house, hoping through the favor of Divine Providence, with the benevolent aid of the hon- orable Legislature of this Commonwealth, and the charita- ble donations of the well disposed, together with the dili- gent care and attention of the governors and teachers, it may become a respectable institution, renowned for the pious education of future generations; for which purpose we do ordain and establish the following rules for the constitution and government thereof."
Section 8 of the rules directed that the teachers shall from time to time be obliged to teach such number of charity scholars as shall be recommended by the trustees (not exceeding four) gratis, which the trustees and teachers shall keep secret.
October 4, 1791 .- Samuel Barnes Davis was appointed teacher of the academy for three months; and at a meet- ing of the trustees on January 3, 1792, it was resolved "that Mr. Davis, the teacher, shall submit for the approbation of the trustees copies of all such extracts or speeches as he intends the children under his care shall speak or de- liver at public exhibition."
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
October 22, 1795 .- Mr. William Moderwell was appoint- ed teacher of the Latin and Greek department of the acad- emy, to commence this day.
November 21, 1795 .-- The trustees determined that the following books should be taught in the Latin and Greek department in the order in which they succeed each other:
Latin-Grammar, Vocabulary, Corderii, &c., Fables, Erasmus Delectæ, e Veteri, Selectæ e Profanis. Greek -- Greek Grammar, Testament, Lucian, Xenophen, Homer, Cæsar's Commentaries, Ovid, Virgil, Sallust, Horace, Cicero.
The early minutes of the academy, the original of which are in the possession of A. Boyd Hamilton, Esq., of Harrisburg, to whom we are indebted for the privilege of making our extracts, show that like all new and de- serving enterprises the institution had its trials and diffi- culties, but by persevering energy these were finally overcome, and the academy to-day ranks as one of the best select educational establishments in the State.
From the adoption of the State Constitution of 1790 until 1809, no legislative provision of a general nature was made in reference to public schools. An act was then passed "for the gratuitous education of the poor." It re- quired a report to be made by the assessors of the town- ships, wards and boroughs to the commissioners of the respective counties, of all children between the age of five and twelve years whose parents were unable to provide for their education: and that when the lists had been ap- proved by the commissioners, that such parents should be notified thereof, and be permitted to send their chil- dren to the most convenient schools at the expense of the county. Notwithstanding the many defects of this law, it continued in force until it was repealed by that of 29th
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
March, 1824, which provided that every township should elect three "schoolmen" who should superintend the edu- cation of poor children within their respective townships, and "cause them to be instructed as other children are treated, the expense of tuition to be paid by the county." But each county might authorize the "schoolmen" to di- vide the township into school districts, and to establish schools at the expense of the township, to which all chil- dren belonging to the districts might be sent for three years, at any time between the ages of six and fourteen years. This law was applicable to the whole State, with the exception of certain school districts in the city and county of Philadelphia and city of Lancaster. It was re- pealed in 1826 and the act of 1809 revived.
Beside the general provisions for education throughout the State there were special ones enacted for certain lo- calities. Thus in 1818 the city and county of Philadel- phia were erected into a district, called the "First school district of Pennsylvania." By the act of April 1, 1822, the city and county of Lancaster were erected into the "Second school district," with privileges and duties simi- lar to the first. By the act of 11th April, 1827, the same system was established at Harrisburg, and by act of 19th February, 1828, at Pittsburg.
The act establishing a public school in Harrisburg, authorized the commissioners of Dauphin county to make use of any part of the court house of said county which may be unoccupied, build, or procure a suitable building for the purpose of educating the children directed to be taught at the public expense; to engage a suitable teacher or teachers; and they were required to direct that all children educated at the public expense, who shall reside in the borough of Harrisburg, or within one
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
mile thereof, should attend the school, which was to be taught and conducted on the principle of Lancaster's system of education, in its most approved state. The commission- ers were further empowered to admit children whose pa- rents or guardians were in circumstances to pay for their tuition, and were at liberty to charge in each individual case any sum which may be agreed upon between the parties, which should be applied in all cases to the sup- port of the school.
Under the provisions of the act of April 11, 1827, the commissioners of the county established a school on Lan- caster's plan in Harrisburg in the latter part of that year, and erected the building now owned by the school board, on Walnut street, opposite Short, in the city of Harris- burg, for its accommodation. The school, however, does not seem to have been a success, as it was abolished by the act of 20th of May, 1834.
The present Common School system was established December 5, 1835, and from the report of the State School Superintendent for the year ending December 31, 1837, the following statistics show the progress of the system in the county, in two years' time:
Number of schools, 48; number of teachers, males, 45, females, 13; number of scholars, males, 1,541, females, 1,320; number of months kept open, 4 months and 20 days; moneys received: State appropriation, $2,037 34, from the county, $1,430 17, from the districts, $4,731 89 ; average salary of teachers, males, $20 8012, females, $19 16; cost of school house repairs, $1,575 29; other expenses, $530 53.
Small as are these figures, the result at the time was considered very favorable, and exceeded many counties with a much larger population than Dauphin. But it is
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
only when we compare the report of 1837 with the report of 1875 that the progress of education in Dauphin county is brought out in all its grand proportions.
According to the report of the Superintendent of Com- mon Schools for 1875, the whole number of schools in the county was 26612; average number of months taught, 6.59; number of teachers, males, 1 30, females, 102; aver- age salaries, males per month, $40 42, females, $35 40; number of scholars, males, 5,51 1, females, 5,025; average number attending school, 7,299; total amount of tax levied for school and building purposes, $84,254 22; re- ceipts: from State appropriation, $8,522; taxes and other sources, $III,504 28; total receipts, $120,026 36; ex- penditures, cost of school houses, building, repairing, etc., $32,521 08; teachers' wages, $58,333 71; fuel, etc., $17,- 447 15.
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION.
The primitive roads in the territory now forming the county were Indian trails, or paths, which the white traders followed with their pack-horses; these in time be- came the regular thoroughfares of the early settlers. The trails traversed the county eastward to Tulpohocken, thence to Easton; westward to Carlisle, Forts Louden (Bedford) and Fort Pitt (Pittsburg;) northward along the valley of the Susquehanna into New York State, and southward along the river into Maryland, beside short and rough ways for neighborhood use.
Seventy-five or eighty years ago it was not an uncom- mon sight to see as many as five hundred pack horses .passing the ferry here westward, loaded with merchan- dise, salt, iron, etc. The iron was carried on horse- back, being crooked over and around their bodies; bar- rels or kegs were hung on each side of these.
The pack horses were generally led in divisions of twelve or fifteen horses, carrying about two hundred weight each, going single file, and managed by two men, one going before as the leader, and the other in the rear, to see after the safety of the packs. Where the bridle road passed along declivities or over hills, the path was in some places washed out so deep that the packs or burdens came in contact with the ground or other impeding obstacles, and were frequently displaced. However, as the carriers usually traveled in companies, the packs were soon adjusted, and no great delay occasioned.
The pack horses were generally furnished with bells, which were kept from ringing during the day drive, but
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
were loose at night, when the horses were set free and permitted to feed and brouse. The bells were intended as guides to direct to their whereabouts in the morning. When the wagons were first introduced, the carriers con- sidered that mode of transportation an invasion of their rights. Their indignation was more excited, and they manifested greater rancor, than did the regular teamsters when the line of packets or railroad cars came into use about forty years afterwards.
As the settlements increased in the interior of the col- ony, the Susquehanna river became an important avenue of transportation, at first by means of canoes, then by keel-bottomed boats, or "broad-horns," as they were often called. Grains and other produce were the chief articles carried in those conveyances. Harris Ferry and Middle- town were noted marts for the storage and sale of grain at this period. In 1790 there were over 150,000 bushels of wheat brought down the Susquehanna, and passed. through Middletown, for the Philadelphia market.
About the year 1794 or '95 the first vessel in the shape of an ark, but of small dimensions, arrived at Harrisburg from Huntingdon on the Juniata. It passed the Cone- wago Falls in safety. About the same time that arks were introduced, the Conewago canal at York Haven, was commenced, and on its completion in 1797 or 1798 keel- bottom boats were passed through, which caused a great portion of the trade in grain to be diverted from Harris- burg and Middletown to Columbia. But in a few years afterwards boats ventured beyond the Conewago falls and thus reached tide-water, when the grain trade was measureably diverted from both Middletown and Colum- bia, concentrating at Port Deposit.
Upon the discovery of anthracite coal in the Wilkes- barre region, nearly the entire product of the mines was
Historical Sketch of Dauphin County. IOI
shipped to eastern and southern markets in arks, by the Susquehanna river. The first anthracite coal ever con- sumed in Harrisburg was brought on an ark from Wilkes- barre, in 1812, and we may remark, en passant, that the cargo was at the time considered more than sufficient to supply the town for a year.
It was, however, the article of lumber that proved the greatest bulk of the tonnage carried down the Susque- hanna. This trade commenced shortly after the Revolu- tion and continued to increase rapidly up to the com- pletion of the canal and railroad system of the State; although a very large proportion still continues to descend the stream annually.
The earliest official records of roads established by the authorities in this region are the following:
On November 4, 1735, the court of Lancaster county appointed Randle Chambers, Jacob Peat, James Silvers, Thomas Eastland, John Lawrence and Abraham Endless to lay out a road from Harris Ferry (Harrisburg) to Balti- more. These gentlemen made report Febuary 3, 1736, of their view of the road, which they said was "opposed by a considerable number of inhabitants on the west side of the Susquehanna in those parts," and praying for a review. The court then ordered that William Rennick, Richard Hough, James Armstrong, Thos. Mayes, Samuel Mont- gomery and Benj. Chambers view the road, and make such alterations in it as to them may seem necessary for the public good, and report their proceedings to next court. In May following they made a report stating that they had reviewed the easternmost part of the said road, and find it very crooked and hurtful to the inhabitants, &c., and therefore have altered the said road and marked
14
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Historical Sketch of Dauphin County.
it in the manner following, (they then add the route.) The report was confirmed.
At a session of the Provincial Council, held in Philadel- phia in January, 1735-36, on the petition of sundry inhab- itants of Chester and Lancaster counties, setting forth "the want of a high road in the remote parts of the said counties where the petitioners are seated, and that a very commodious one may be laid out from the tavern of John Harris, on Susquehanna, to fall in with the high road leading from Lancaster town, at or near the plantation of Edward Kennison, in the great valley in the county of Chester;" it was ordered that viewers be appointed who shall make a return of the same, together with a draught of the said road. Subsequently done and the highway opened to the Susquehanna.
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