USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 11
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In 1749 the Delaware Indians left the great region beyond the Blue Mountains for thousands of square miles. And they departed with the firm inteution of remaining away. But, shortly afterward, having been deceived by misrepre- sentations of the French, they returned, not, however, to retake possession, but to murder the settlers, and in this malicious invasion they were very successful, and they kept the country in an unsettled and uncertain condition for eight years.1 Then they fled, never to return again.
In 1789 the general government placed them on a large reservation of land in the State of Ohio. But what was a reservation in or against the onward march of civilization ? It could not be firmly and certainly reserved. The Christians were too many and too powerful for them, even for the government which manifested
such a generous feeling in their behalf. The poor and powerless Indians-poor in the sense of possessions and powerless in the sense of or- ganized political combinations for influence and promotion -had to go, and they went. A gen- eration afterwards, in the year 1818, they were located in Missouri. Numerons removals fol- lowed during the next fifty years, when, in 1866, they accepted land in severalty in the In- dian Territory. They then gave up tribal re- lations to settle down to civilized life, to do as civilized people do. And now, it is said, they are at last useful and prosperous citizens of a united people, numbering, it is estimated, one thousand. And there, it is to be hoped, after re- troceding for over one hundred years from stream to stream and from mountain to moun- tain, toward the setting sun, they will be per- mitted to grow, if not a stronger, a more sub- missive and a more honorable people, to be, nevertheless, a wiser, a better and a more culti- vated people after our own day and generation.
A popular notion prevails that the Indian tribes are disappearing and their numbers grow- ing less. But it has been ascertained that, though certain tribes have decreased in num- ber, and others even disappeared entirely, many of the tribes have increased ; and therefore the Indian population, as a whole, in North Amer- ica has not decreased very much since the ad- vent of the Europeans. In 1880 there were in the United States three hundred and three thousand two hundred and forty-eight, and in the British possessions one hundred and three thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine-total, four hundred and seven thousand two hundred and seventeen. The general policy of our gov- ernment has been, for some years past, to treat with the Indian tribes in a respectful man- ner, purchase their lands, place them upon cer- tain reservations, where they are required to re- main, and appropriate supplies for them in the nature of food, clothing, arms and ammunition. In this manner the government has been humane- ly endeavoring to civilize them after our own pat- tern of civilization. And it has accomplished con- siderable good results in respect to some tribes, but failed in respect to others.
VILLAGES .- Some of the Minsi Indians had
1 See chapter on " French and Indian War."
63
INDIANS.
villages in this district of territory, now in- cluded in Berks County. These villages were numerous. They were located in different sec- tions of the territory, more particularly, how- ever, along the Schuylkill and its principal tributaries, and known as follows :
Tulpewehaki-in the western section of the county, a short distance east of Stouchsburg, near the Tulpe- hocken Creek.
Sakunk-in the northern section, on the Maiden Creek, in Richmond township, at the mouth of the Sakunk Creek ; now called Sacony.
Maschilamehanne - situate some miles east of Sakunk, on the stream of the same name ; now known as Moselem.
Machksithanne-still farther east, the place being now in Maxatawny township, near Kutztown.
Ganshowehanne-in the central section adjoining the Schuylkill, near the northern base of " Neversink," at the mouth of Rose Valley Creek, the place being included in Reading.
Angelica-opposite " Neversink," at month of An- gelica Creek.
Navesink-a short distance below the southern base of "Neversink," near the "Big Dam," on the De Turck farm, and it is believed that a village was also in "Poplar Neck," on the High farm.
Menhaltanink-at a large spring now in Amity township, several miles northeast from Douglassville.
Olink-in Oley township, a short distance south of Friedensburg, on land included with the Bertolet farm; and it is believed that a large village was sit- uated several miles to the eastward, on the Lee farm, adjoining the Manatawny Creek.
INDIAN NAMES .- All the prominent streams in the county have been given Indian names ; also two townships and two mountains. These names are as follows :
Angelica .-
Antietam .-
Allegheny-Fair water.
Ganshowehanne-Roaring or tumbling stream. This is now known as the Schuylkill. In old deeds it is called Manaiunk, the signification of which- word was a mother of streams.
Gokhosing-Place of owls; now Cacoosing.
Kau-ta-tin-chunk-Endless (applied formerly, now changed, to Blue Mountain).
Lechauweki-Place of Forks; now Lehigh.
Machksithanne-Bear's-path Creek; now Maxa- tawny.
Maschilamehanne-Trout Stream; now Moselem.
Menakesse-Stream with large bends; now Mo- nocacy.
Menhaltanink-Where we drank liquor ; now Man- atawny.
Navesink-Place of fishing; now Neversink.
Olink-Hole, cavern or cell ; also a cove or tract of land encompassed by hills; now Oley.
Ontelaunee-Little maiden; now Maiden Creek.
Pakihmomink-Place of cranberries; now Perki- omen.
Sakunk-Place of outlet, where a smaller stream empties into a larger ; now Sacony ; also Sancon.
Sinne-hanne-Stony Stream ; now Stony Creek. Sipuas-hanne-A plum stream ; now Plum Creek. Tamaque-hanne- Beaver Stream-a stream across which the beaver throws a dam ; now Beaver Creek ; also changed to Little Schuylkill.
Tulpewihaki-Land of turtles; now Tulpehocken. Wyomissing .-
COLLECTIONS OF INDIAN RELICS IN THE COUNTY .*
Arrow heads and
other chipped
Implements.
Total.
Chas. A. Klink, Douglassville . . . Jonas D. De Turck, Neversink Station Isaac D. De Turck, Neversink Station
7
5
10
12
400
438
4
5
11
6
2480
2512
A. J. De Turck, Neversink Station.
3
3
3
160
169 330
Solomon H. Christian, Neversink Sta. Heory D. Dick, Neversink Station. . Amos Lewis, Big Dam
3
5
6
475
498
Ezra High, Poplar Neck .
5
4
20
10 15
800
862 355 1454
Charles W. Berg, Cumru
3
13
8 12
1410
1
4
40
16
200
366
Maj. S. L. Young, Reading. Henry Weidensaul, Reading .
3
4
3
150
160
I. W. Kein, Reading.
2
2
2
100
108
D. B. Brunner, Reading
52
58|21
4350
4507 212 1078
Society of Natural Sciences, Reading. J. H. Buhp, Stouchsburg . . William Reith, Stouchsburg
20
13
170
210
Franklin B. Reith, Stouchsburg. . H. L. Illig, Millbacb .
12
500
513
Howard J. Herbein, Sinking Spring.
3
6
40
50 1205
W. J. Dreibelhis, Virginsvills
1
5
50
56
6
3
50
59
Alfred S. Dreibelbis, Virginsville . Abrabam G. Mengel, Virgineville
1
1
100
103
Jonas J. Boyer, Virginsville. .
13
16
L. H. Leeher, Perry .
53
60
Dr. C. Wanner, Kutztown
8
1
105
133
E. J. Sharadin, Kutztown. .
4 15
950
973
Samuel C. Bast, + Kutztown . .
13
500
513
William K. Deisber, Maxatawny
1
2
2
120
125
Walter S. Fritz, Wessnersville.
1
24
26
A. F. Berlin, t Allentown .
5
20
1000
1025
Total
48 89 39
298
314 80
18195
19181
3
1
4
320
2
125
129
Cyrus R. Yost, above Poplar Neck.
1
1
3
350
6
2
10
200
10
20
48
1000
8
2
18
300
328
Abraham H. De Turk, Leesport.
1
4
1200
1
3
4
* Brunner's "Indiane of Berks County," pp. 76, 77.
+ Estimated.
# Present collection about six thousand.
2 4 6 AL | Ornaments.
| Pestles.
Axes.
Hammers.
| Spear Heads.
5
500
508
8
1 2 2 1 8 5122999 Celte.
2
G 20
2
7
1
1
2
5
1
This statement is not intended to be a correct classification of the relics found in Berks County, but to exhibit, under a few heads, the total number at the present time (1881). Some of the collectors began to gather specimens re- cently; a few are not ambitious to make large collections, and hence accept only the best specimens (this accounting for a few small col- lections), whilst others have many more than are indicated by the figures in the statement, such specimens not being from Berks County-gen-
64
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
erally from the West. The statement is con- fined exclusively to Indian relics of this county.
If the specimens recently carried away from the county were added, the total number would be largely increased. There are many single specimens of axes and small lots of arrow heads in the hands of farmers wlio do not make col- lections, but they cherish and hold them be- cause they found them on their farms.
Messrs. Ezra High's, J. D. De Turck's and Isaac D. De Turck's collections have a peculiar value, because they were found on their re- spective farms.
Mr. Cyrus R. Yost's specimens were all fonnd by him on the lower part of Fritz's Island, a short distance below Reading.
Mr. Charles W. Berg found his specimens on the farm of the Reading Land Improvement Company, on an area of six acres. This was also the site of an Indian village.
Major S. L. Young's collection is remark- able for its many rare specimens and large pro- portion of fine axes.
The collection of Mr. H. L. Illig, Millbach, Lebanon County, deserves mention here. It contains over five thousand specimens, and shows that Lebanon also had a large Indian population. Only a small portion of his col- lection is from Berks County.
About one-third of Prof. Brunner's collection is from the vicinity of Virginsville, one-third from Maxatawny, and the remainder from all parts of the county where relics have been found.
CHAPTER IV.
NATIONALITIES.
Swedes -Germans - English-Welsh-Irish-Hebrews- Negroes.
SWEDES .- The first permanent settlement along the Delaware, in Pennsylvania, was ef- fected by a small colony of Swedes in 1638. Ten years before this, the subject of encourag- ing Swedes to settle in Pennsylvania, for pur- poses of trade, had been discussed by the King of Sweden ; but his earnest engagement in war- fare with the Germans about that time, and his
death suddenly, ended the matter, till it was reconsidered and revised by his lord chancel- lor, in behalf, and under the patronage of, his daughter, the young Swedish Queen, Christina. The whole number of settlers then in the new country (which they called New Sweden) did not exceed fifty. The Swedes effected the most of their settlements on the western side of the Delaware River, and extended them along this river and its prominent tributary, the Schuyl- kill. In ten years their number did not increase to one hundred. Notwithstanding their success in carrying on trade, they could not acquire snch a firm hold upon the country as to con- tinne their government a score of years. In 1655 their Governor surrendered to the Dutch, and this ended the rule of the Swedes in Penn- sylvania. But those who had settled and taken up lands along the Delaware and Schuylkill did not abandon their settlements. They remained. Penn, upon his arrival nearly thirty years after- ward, encouraged them to move towards the in- terior. The English settlers multiplied rapidly after Penn had given a fixed government to the province. Towards the close of the seventeenth century the Swedes began to consider the pro- priety of accepting Penn's offer. They, doubt- less, then moved up the Schuylkill and viewed the adjoining country. A small colony, under the leadership of Andrew Rudman, found suit- able land along the river, several miles above the mouth of the Manatawny Creek, and they petitioned for ten thousand acres. This was in 1701. And immediately afterward, in pursu- ance of warrants, certain tracts, aggregating ten thousand five hundred acres, were surveyed and laid off for them. The names of these Swedes were Andrew Rudman, Andrew Bankson, Ben- jamin Burden, Peter Boon, Benjamin Boon, Mounce Jones, Justa Justason, Mounce Jus- tice, John Cock, Peter Cock, Otto Ernest Cock, Jacob Culinn, Matthias Holston, Morton Mor- ton, Richard Roads and Jonas Yocum.
All of these, excepting Rudman, remained there and made permanent settlements. A building erected by one of thein, in 1716, is still standing. It is the oldest building in the county. The descendants of some of them are still in the township, which was called Amity
65
NATIONALITIES.
very shortly afterward-notably the Joneses aud Yocums. This was the only colony of them which came into the county, and the only section of the county in which they took up lands ; and they did not wander away, remain- ing in the township almost entirely.
They were the first settlers who erected a building for religious worship in this county. They were members of the Lutheran denomina- tion. They possessed admirable characteristics to take up and develop a new country. They remained more immediately together than any other subsequent class of settlers in this terri- tory. The Indians must have appreciated their virtues in suffering them to remain unmolested before the land was released. Hence they were a peaceable people. The name of the township indicates the pleasant relation which prevailed between them and the Indians. There was amity between them, and so the township came to be named in 1720. They pursued the voca- tion of farming.
GERMANS .- The German immigrants were the second to enter this section of territory after the Swedes. The first settlement was effected by them, in 1712, along the Manatawny, in Oley. Many arrived within the next decade. To the east of the Schuylkill River they proceed- ed northwardly from Philadelphia. To the west, however, the first colony of Germans, be- fore 1730, entered from the west, proceeding from New York southwardly and from the Susquehanna River eastwardly into Tulpehocken Valley. The total number of Germans who settled in the county previous to 1752 cannot be estimated. They were certainly more numer- ous than all the other nationalities taken to- gether. In 1747 Governor Thomas wrote to the bishop of Exeter, in England, saying that the Germans of Pennsylvania comprised three- fifths of the whole population, or abont one hundred and twenty thousand.
Many of these German immigrants were re- demptioners, or persons who had bound them- selves or one or more of their children to the masters of vessels, upon their arrival, for a term of years, to pay for their passage across the ocean. The usual terms of sale depended upon the age, strength and health of the persons sold.
Boys and girls generally served from five to ten years, till they attained the age of twenty- one years. Many parents were compelled to sell the service of their own children in order to satisfy their passage-money, so that they might be released from the vessel upon which they were brought to this country. Children under five years of age could not be sold to ser- vice. They were disposed of gratuitously to persons who agreed to raise them and give them their freedom when they attained the age of twenty-one years. In this manner the redemp- tioners came to occupy a very humble position ; but " from this class there have sprung some of the most reputable and wealthy inhabitants of the province." 1
Prior to 1727 most of the Germans, who immigrated, carried with them hither considera- ble means. But afterward, many of them were poor and they came to be redemptioners on that account. The years in which these arrived were 1728,1729, 1737, 1741, 1750 and 1751. The principal part of them were farmers ; but many were mechanics, who bronght with them a knowledge of those arts which are necessary and useful in all countries, comprising weavers, tailors, tanners, shoemakers, (cord wainers) comb- makers, smiths of all kinds, butchers, paper- makers, clock-makers and bakers.2 These Ger- mans became perfect mechanics and workingmen, through a custom of "Peregrination" ( Wander- schaft), which, as young men, just after the close of their apprenticeship, they carried on for one or more years, in order to make themsel ves more pro- ficient in their several trades. This was required of young mechanics before they were permitted to set up for themselves. By this course they were afforded opportunities of acquiring much useful general knowledge which books could not supply, besides proficiency in their trade. They were called " Traveling Journeymen" (Hand- werks-Bursch). The intention of this custom was to enable them to gain experience, learn methods practiced in other countries besides their own, and acquire also a knowledge
1 Gordon's " History of Pennsylvania," p. 556.
2 " Manners of German Inhabitants," by Dr. Benjamin Rush. Written by him in 1789. Annotated by Rupp and republished in 1875, p. 10.
9
66
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
of the world. "It is nothing unusual to nieet in Germany common mechanics who speak three and four different languages, are well in- formed as to the condition of most countries in Europe and possess a general fund of knowl- edge which is far superior to that in persons of the same class in England." 1
And many of the earlier immigrants were Huguenots, who had been encouraged by Penn and the English government to emigrate to Pennsylvania and New York. In France this name was used as a term of reproach for those who aimed at a reform of religion according to the principles enunciated by Calvin. The name attached itself to these reformers when they broke off all connection with Lutheranism and began to organize themselves both as a church and as a political body. Their churches sprang up with wonderful quickness during the middle of the sixteenth century ; but they became unpopular-bitterly disliked by the court and by the majority of the French people. During the reign of Francis I. the persecutions against them gave place to a vehement desire to crush " the rising heresy." After the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, in 1572, the subordination of their religious interests to their political interests became inevitable, and, having become followers of Henry of Navarre, heir of the French crown, their subseqent discontent ob- tained from him, as King Henry IV., in 1598. (April 13th), the famous " Edict of Nantes." 2 But the provisions of this Edict were found as helpful for Catholics as for Protestants, and they were so modified as to show a decreasing favor of the Calvinists, who had dreamed of dominance and had hoped for equality, but were put off with tolerance. This situation caused them to become dissatisfied with the Edict ; and the King then expressed a determination " to reduce to nothing the Huguenot faction."
About 1590 the Huguenots carried on worship
in about thirty-five hundred chateaux and two hundred towns, which were situated chiefly in the south and west of France. In most parts of the north they had a place for worship in each bailliage. In 1598 the King granted a list of one hundred and fifty places to them for their safety, the chief groups being in the generalities of Bordeaux, Montpelier and Poitou. During the next quarter of a century their history passes through a series of outbursts indicating im- patience and dissatisfaction. In this time they had five hundred churches ; in 1637 they had seven hundred and twenty. Richelieu and Mazarin treated them with prudence, but their synods were discouraged and their grumblings ceased. They grew in piety and purity as the political arena was closed to them ; and this was the time of their material prosperity. When Louis XIV. took up his reign the tranquillity of the Huguenots began to pass away. In 1657 they were forbidden to hold colloquies, lest they might take to politics, and in 1659 they were told to hold no more synods. Soon the court went further, and conversions were undertaken. Wherever a pastor could be bribed, converted or got rid of, his temple was torn down. Their worship then became almost impossible in towns. As the King's conscience grew morbid, he became more eager to expiate his own crimes by punishing the heretics. Within twenty years seven hundred churches were destroyed. Through- out that trying period, whilst thousands of them yielded to oppression or bribery, thousands of others fled the land. The emigration began in 1666 and continued for fifty years. It is probable that in 1660 there were over two millions of Huguenots, who were regarded as the best and most thrifty citizens in that coun- try ; and of these it is said "fully a million of French subjects escaped from their inhospitable fatherland." At last the King revoked the Edict of Nantes, because he thought that the Hugue- nots were suppressed. This was on the 15th of October, 1685. " This revocation was the sen- tence of civil death on all Huguenots. It crushed more than half of the commercial and manufac- turing industry of the kingdom." The pre- amble was as follows : "Our pains have had the end we had proposed, seeing that the better and
1 Murray's Hand-Book, 218.
2 " This Edict was drawn up in 92 open and 56 secret articles. It was a code of old and new laws regulating the civil and religious position of Protestants in France, the conditions and guarantees of their worship, their liber- ties and their special obligations in their relations, whether with the crown or with their Catholic fellow countrymen." - Guizut's " History of France," vol. iii. p. 444.
67
NATIONALITIES.
greater part of our subjects of the religion styled the Reformed have embraced the Catholic; the execution of the Edict of Nantes, consequently remaining useless, we have considered that we could not do better for the purpose of effacing entirely the memory of the evils which this false religion has caused in our kingdom than revoke entirely the aforesaid Edict of Nantes and all that has been done in favor of the said religion."1
" Whatever difference of opinions there may be as to the numbers who fled from the king- dom at this time, there can be no doubt as to the quality of them. They were the thriftiest and readiest hands in France; they carried the arts and taste, which were till then the special gift of their country, to Spitalfields, or Amsterdam, or even to Berlin. They crowded into the armies which were arrayed against their oppressor ; they helped to man the ships which destroyed the navy of France; they planted their indus- tries in many places, and gave that wealth and prosperity to other lands which was driven from their homes." 2
This was the class of Germans which settled the country along the Schuylkill and its tributaries. They were a valuable acquisition to Penn and his sons in the development of their great prov- ince. They were just what a new country needed to start it grandly in the march of ma- terial progress. Their labor, their economy, their perseverance and their stability added great and increasing wealth to the country, decade after decade. They prepared the way for the erection of a new county ; and having fitted the settlements for a separate political or- ganization, they proceeded earnestly in behalf of its establishment. Their determination towards this end extends through a period of fourteen years, from 1738 to 1752, when the county was erected. They were largely in the majority. But they did not have this preponderance to appear by the name that was given to the coun- ty. Possibly they could not have secured a German name if they had desired to. In the
vast sections of territory which they inhabited, only three townships had been named with Ger- man names, -- Heidelberg, Bern and Alsace. The English influence is apparent. The previous counties, excepting Philadelphia, were given English names .- Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, York and Cumberland.
The proprietary government was English, and an English name for the new county was to be expected ; and the Penns. having been at the head of provincial affairs, the name of their own shire naturally stood out with prom- inence as a proper name for the new organiza- tion. So it was named Berks.
Before this event the Germans had done much for the territory in improving its soil, in erecting buildings, in laying out roads. They were along every stream, excepting the Wyomissing, Alle- gheny and Hay Creek, in the southern section. They were in the valleys and on the hills, rather than along the Schuylkill. This singular selec- tion of locality was not accidental. They found the best quality of land away from the Schuyl- kill. Our best farms in productiveness and in appearance are in the localities where they settled-in Oley, in Maxatawny, in Heidelberg. In these respective localities we find the grand- children and great-grandchildren of the first German patentees. This adherence to the soil is not only a peculiar, but also an admirable quality of the German people.3
3 The following extract is taken from an article entitled " First Families," which I contributed to Historical Register (published by Dr. W. H. Egle, at Harrisburg), January, 1883, and copied in Reading Times, February 6, 1883. The great majority of the names mentioned are German.
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