History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc, Part 27

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USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc > Part 27
USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc > Part 27

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"On the 25th of July there were in Shippensburg 1,384 of our poor, dis- tressed back inhabitants, viz. : men, 301; women, 345; children, 738, many of whom were obliged to lie in barns, stables, cellars and under old leaky sheds, the dwelling-houses being all crowded."

Indians were also occasionally seen in the valley after Bouquet had left, and occasionally some of the inhabitants were fired upon within a few miles of Carlisle. Where is the wonder that the stricken people looked so eagerly to Bouquet for deliverance, or that they suspected and mistrusted every being in the shape of an Indian, whether professedly friendly or otherwise! Such terrible experiences were sufficient to foster all the fiendishness of revenge in the breasts of the afflicted, and the great wonder at the present day is that they did not resolve upon and enter into a war of extermination of the red race.

8.18. Kiffer A u. U. k.

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Upon the outbreak of the savages the Assembly had ordered the raising of 7(M) men to protect the frontier during the harvest, but almost without effect. The safety of the garrison at Fort Pitt was the cause of anxiety, and finally Col. Henry Bouquet was ordered to march to its relief. This he did with barely 500 men, the remnants of two shattered regiments of regulars-the Forty-second and Seventy-second-lately returned from the West Indies in a debilitated condition, together with 200 rangers (six companies) raised in Lancaster und Cumberland Counties. Although depending so greatly upon him, the inhabitants of Carlisle and vicinity were in such a state of terror and utter consternation that they had taken no steps to prepare provisions for him and his little army, and they arrived at Carlisle to find matters there and along the line of march in a desperate condition, though several quite heavy contri- butions had been raised by varions congregations in Philadelphia and sent for their relief. Instead, therefore, of the inhabitants being able to lend him aid, they were dependent upon him, and he was forced to lie at Carlisle eighteen days until supplies could be sent for and received. By this time the people had regained courage and confidence in themselves, although the appearance of Bouquet's army led them to expect little from its expedition. Most happily were they disappointed, however, for the Colonel's successful march, his re- lief of Fort Ligonier, his terrible thirty-six hours fight at Bushy Run with the Indians, who were defeated and driven from the field, his relief of Fort Pitt, and his subsequent expedition against the Indians in Ohio, with the treaty on terms of his own dictation, and the release of many white prisoners who were returned to their homes, are all matters of history. Bouquet became the sa- vior of the region, and to his memory let all honor be accorded. The Indians committed outrages along the frontier in 1764, but an army of 1,000 men was raised, of which a battalion of eight companies of 380 men. mostly from Cumberland County-commanded by Lieut. - Col. John Armstrong, with Capts. William Armstrong, Samuel Lindsey. James Piper. Joseph Armstrong, John Brady, William Piper, Christopher Line and Timothy Green, with a few under Lieut. Finley-was sent against them under Col. Bouquet, who pierced to the very heart of their western stronghold, and compelled them to accede the terms above mentioned. The battalion of provincial troops from this county was paid off and mustered out of service, the arms were delivered to the authori- ties, and the long and dreadful Indian war, with all its attendant sickening horrors, was at an end.

The people had little confidence, however, in the Indians, and were not disposed to place in their hands any weapons or materials which would give them the slightest advantage over the whites, at least until their new relations had time to become fixed. It had been agreed that trade should be opened with the Indians, and large quantities of goods were gathered in places for the purpose before the governor issued his proclamation authorizing trading. This led to the destruction of a large quantity of goods in which Capt. Robert Col- Jender, a Hlouring-mill proprietor near Carlisle, was part owner, the goods hav- ing been started westward. A party under James Smith, who had done ser- vice under Braddock. Forbes and Bouquet, waylaid them near Sideling Hill, killed a number of horses, made the escort turn back. burned sixty-three loads, and made matters exceedingly lively, when a squad was sent out to capture the rioters. Smith afterward acknowledged himself too hasty. He was subse- quently arrested on suspicion of murder and lodged in jail at Carlisle in 1769. An attempt was made to rescue him, but he dissuaded the party, and upon his trial was acquitted. He became a distinguished Revolutionary officer and member of the Legislature.

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Another occurrence, which might have resulted seriously for the settlers, was the murder of ten friendly Indians in the lower part of Shearman's Valley, on Middle Creek, in January, 1768, by Frederick Stump and an employe of his named Hans Eisenhauer (John Ironcutter). The authorities captured the murderers and placed them in jail in Carlisle, although the warrant for their arrest charged that they be brought before the chief justice at Philadelphia. That step the people of Cumberland County resisted, claiming it was encroach- ing upon their rights to try the men in the county where the crime was com- mitted. They were detained at Carlisle until the pleasure of the authorities at Philadelphia could be ascertained, and were rescued by a large armed party on the morning of the 29th of January, four days after their arrest. The pris- oners were carried away over the mountains and were never afterward found, though it was the opinion that they got away and took refuge in Virginia. The matter was finally dropped after the heat of the affair was over.

CHAPTER IV.

COUNTY ORGANIZATION-LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT-DIVISION OF COUNTY INTO TOWNSHIPS-COUNTY BUILDINGS-POPULATION-POSTOFFICES IN 1885- INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-PUBLIC ROADS-RAILROADS.

C YUMBERLAND COUNTY was named after a maritime county in England, bordering on Scotland. I. Daniel Rupp, in a sketch of this county in Egle's History of Pennsylvania, published in 1876, says: "The name is derived from the Keltic, Kimbriland. The Kimbrie, or Keltic races, once inhabited the county of Cumberland, in England," but we are inclined to think that the word Cumberland signifies "land of hollows," from the Anglo Saxon word "comb," a valley or low place.

In the matter of pedigree Cumberland is the sixth county formed in Penn- sylvania; Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester were established in 1682, Lancaster in 1729 and York in 1749. Petitions having been presented to the Assembly by numerous inhabitants of the North or Cumberland Valley, among whom were James Silvers and William Magaw, in behalf of the inhabitants of the North Val- ley, on the ground of their remoteness from the county seat, Lancaster, and the difficulty which the sober and the quiet part of the valley experienced in se- curing itself against the thefts of certain idle and dissolute persons (who easily avoided the courts, the officers and the jail of so distant a county town), pray- ing for the establishment of a new county, an act was passed to that effect on the 27th of January, 1750. Robert McCoy, of Peters Township, Benjamin Chambers, of Antrim, David Magaw, of Hopewell, James McIntire and John McCormick, both of East Pennsborough, were appointed commissioners to carry out the provisions of the act. The territory embraced in Cumberland County was set off from Lancaster, and its ample limits were thus described: "That all and singular the lands lying within the province of Pennsylvania, to the west- ward of the Susquehanna, and northward and westward of the county of York, be erected into a county, to be called Cumberland; bounded northward and westward with the line of the provinces; eastward partly by the Susquehanna and partly by said county of York; and southward in part by the line divid- ing said province from that of Maryland."

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

It was also further enacted. in order to better ascertain the boundary bo- tween Cumberland and York Counties, that commissioners should be appoint ed on the part of the latter to act in conjunction with those of the former for that purpose. The York County commissioners were Thomas Cox, Michael Tanner. George Swope. Nathan Hussey and John Wright, Jr. The commis sioners of the two counties disagreed when they met to tix the boundary line. Those from Cumberland wished the line to commence opposite the mouth of Swatara Creek and run thence along the ridge of the South Mountain for Trent Hills, or Priest Hills): but to this the York County commissioners would not listen: they wished the Yellow Breeches, or Callapasseinker Creek, to form a . portion of the boundary. The difficulty was finally settled by the Assembly in an act passed February 9. 1751, which says: " But for as much as the ridge of mountains called the South Mountain. - along which the lines, dividing the said counties of York and Cumberland. were directed to be run by the several here- inbefore mentioned acts, before the river Susquehannah, to the mouth of a run of water called Dogwood Run. -- is discontinued, much broken, and not easily to be distinguished, whereby great differences have arisen between the trustees of the said counties concerning the matter of running said lines: by which means the boundaries of said counties, between the river Susquehanna and the mouth of aforesaid run of water called Dogwood Run. are altogether unsettled and so likely to continue to the great injury of the said counties, and to the frustrating the good purposes by the hereinbefore mentioned acts of Assembly intended for the preventing hereof. it is hereby enacted. that the creek called Yellow Breeches Creek, from the mouth thereof where it empties into the Susquehanna afore- said, up the several courses thereof, to the month of a run of water called Dog- wood Run, and from thence on one continued straight line, to be run to the ridge of mountains called the South Mountain, until it intersects the Maryland line, shall be and is hereby declared to be the boundary line between said coun- ties of York and Cumberland."

Previous to this legislation a petition from the commissioners appointed on the part of Cumberland County to run the line had been presented to the As- sembly setting forth facts as follows: "That the York commissioners, refusing to run the line agreeable to the act of Assembly, the petitioners conceived it their duty to do it themselves, and accordingly began opposite to the mouth of the Swahatara [ now Swatara-Ed. ], on Susquehanna River, and then took the courses and distances along the highest ridge of the mountain, without crossing any running water, till they struck the middle of the main body of the South Mountain. at James Caruther's plantation; a true draught whereof is annexed to the petition. That the draught of the line and places adjacent. laid before the house by the York commissioners, as far as relates to the wa- ters and courses, is altogether imaginary, and grounded on no actual survey: those commissioners having no surveyor with them, nor so much as attempting to chain any part of it. That the petitioners would willingly agree to the pro- posal of making Yellow Breeches Creek the boundary, if that draught had any truth in it; but as it is altogether false, and the making that creek the line would actually eut off a great part of the north valley, reduce it to a point on the Susquehanna, and make the county quite irregular, the petitioners pray that the line in the draught to their petition annexed may be confirmed, or a straight line granted from the mouth of Swahatara to the middle of the South Mountain." This petition was read and ordered to lie on the table. [Votes Assem .. IV. 154. Sth mo., 18th, 1750, as quoted by Rupp. ]

Had the line been established as prayed by this petition. the eastern end of the county. as now existing, would have been about the same in extent as the

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

western; wheareas now it is much less-or narrower. Mr. Chambers, one of the Cumberland County commissioners, on the establishment of the line had written as follows to Richard Peters, secretary, but all to no avail:

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, October 8th, 1750.

Sir: I received your letter in which you enclosed the draughts of the line run by the commissioners of York County and ours; and if the branches of the Yellow Britches and Great Conewago interlocked in the South Mountain, as laid down in the aforesaid draught, I would be of opinion with the Assembly that a line consisting of such a variety of courses could not be a good boundary between two counties. I can assure you that the courses that we. the commissioners of Cumberland, run, we chained, and have returned by course and distance the ridge of the mountain, and can send our deposition that we crossed no running water above ground, and that we have run it past Capt. Dills, till we are iu the middle of the mountains, as laid down in the red line in their draughts; so that our draughts will show you that theirs is but an imaginary of the waters, done by some friends of York County who had no regard for our country's welfare; for we sent our re- turn to be laid before the Assembly at the same time that York County laid this one before them that your Honor was pleased to send me. But our messenger did not deliver our re- turn to the House, or if he had, I suppose they would not have troubled his Honor, the Governor, to send any further instructions to us. for I humbly suppose that there cannot be any better boundary than the ridge of the mountain; for, were there a line run to cross the heads of the waters of both sides and the marks grown old, it would be hard for a hunter to tell which county the wolf was killed in, but he may easily tell whether it was killed on the descent of the North or South Valley waters. Likewise, a sheriff, when he goes to any house where he is not acquainted aud enquires at the house whether that water falls into the North or South Valley, can tell whether they live in his county or not, which he could not tell by a line crossing the heads of the waters of both sides till he made himself ac- quainted with said line; so that if you will give yourself the trouble to enquire at any of the authors of that draft that was laid before the Assembly, you will find that they never chained any part of their line to know the distance, and therefore cannot be capable to lay down the heads of the waters.

Sir, I bope you will send me a few lines to let me know if our return be confirmed, or we must run it over again. But you may believe that the ridge of the mountain and heads of the waters are as laid down in our return; and we ruu it at the time we went with you to Mr. Croghan's, and did not expect to have any further trouble; and I yet think that his Honor, the Governor,* will confirm our return, or order them to disapprove of it by course and distance.

Sir, I am your Honor's most humble servant, BENJAMIN CHAMBERS.

Location of County Seat .- In the act organizing the county of Cumberland the same persons appointed to run the boundary line, or any three of them, were authorized to purchase a site for county court house and prison, subject to approval by the governor. It was at the same time the desire of the pro- prietaries to lay out a town at the same place. The matter of selecting a suit- able site was very difficult, as no less than four locations were offered. At length Thomas Cookson, Esq., the deputy surveyor at Lancaster, was sent to examine the different places and report to the governor, after hearing the ar- guments in favor of each. He reported mainly as follows:

LANCASTER, March 1, 1749.

Honored Sir :- In pursuance of your directions I have viewed the several places spoken of as commodious situations for the town in the county of Cumberland, and also the several passes through the Kittochtinny and Tuscarora Mountains, for the conven- ience of the traders to Allegheny. I shall take the liberty of making some observations on the several places recommended, as the inhabitants of the different parts of the county are generally partial to the advantages that would arise from a county town in their own neighborhood. And first, the inhabitants about the river recommended the Manor. that be- ing a considerable body of the propietaries' land, well timbered, and likely to be rendered valuable should the town be fixed there; but the body of the county cry loudly against that location as lying in a distant corner of the county, and would be a perpetual incon- venience to the inhabitants attending public business, and a great charge of mileage to the respective officers employed in it. The next situation is on Le Tort's Spring. This place is convenient to the new path to Allegheny now mostly used, being at the distance of four miles from the gap in the Kittochtinny Mountain. There is a fine stream of water

*Gov. James Hamilton.

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

and a body of good land on each side, from the head down to Conodogwainet Creek, and the lands on both sides of the Conodogwainet are thickly settled. As these lands are set tled, if it should be thought a proper situation for the town, the people possessed of them are willing to sell their improvements on reasonable terms, or exchange them for other lands of the honorable proprietor-'. There is a tract of about 2,000 acres of tolerably well timbered land, without water, adjoining the settlements on Le Tort's Spring, which may be serviceable to accommodate the town, and lies as marked in the plan.

If this place should not be central enough, the next situation is the Big Spring. It rises a mile and a half to the northwest of the great road, five miles from Dunnings, and seven from Shippensburg; runs into the Conodogwainet in about three miles, and has good land on each side and on the Conodogwainet, and a great quantity of land to the southward, which is tolerably well timbered, but has no water. The honorable proprie taries have a tract of 4,000 acres on the north side of the C'onodogwainet, opposite to the spring, and there is a gap in the mountain called MeClure's Gap, convenient for bringing the road from AAllegheny to this place: and, with the purchase of two or three small im- provements, the proprietaries might be accommodated with a sufficient quantity of land for that purpose.

As to Shippensburg. I have no occasion to say anything, the lands being granted: and, indeed, if that were not the case, the lands about it are unsettled, for the want of Water, which must be a sufficient objection.

The next place proposed was on the Conococheaque Creek, where the road crosses it. The lands to the eastward of it are vacant, the settlements being chietly on the sides of the creek. The situation is very good, and there is enough vacant land, as only the plantations on the creek would need to he purchased. This place was proposed as more convenient for the Indian trade, and opened a shorter and better passage through the mountains. It is true a tolerable passage may be had, but it must be by various turnings. Upon the whole, the choice appears to me to lie between the two situations of Le Tort's Spring and the Big Spring.

('pon fixing the spot, directions will be necessary for a plan of the town, the breadtli of the streets, the lots to be reserved and those to be allotted for the public buildings. In the execution of which or any other service for the honorable proprietaries committed to mne I shall take great pleasure.

I am, honored sir, your most obedient, humble servant, THOMAS COOKSON.

The site upon Le Tort's Spring was finally determined upon, and Carlisle sprang into existence: though, even after the courts were removed from Ship- pensburg, there was considerable effort made to have the county seat located elsewhere than on the Le Tort, various reasons being urged why other loca- tions were better adapted for the purpose. The place was laid out in 1751, and as late as May 27. 1753, it contained but five dwellings.

Division of County into Townships. - The records of the court of quarter sessions of Lancaster Connty for November. 1735, contain the following: " On the petition of many of the inhabitants of the North Valley on the west side of the Susquehanna River, opposite to Paxton, praying that the parts seltled be- tween the said River and Potomac River, on Conodogwainet, Yellow Britches and Conegochegne Creeks may be divided into townships and constables ap- pointed in them, it was ordered by court that a line running northerly from the Hills to the southward of Yellow Britches (crossing a direct line by the Great Spring) to Kightotining Mountain, be the division line, and the easternmost township be called Penusborough and the western Hopewell." In 1741 Hope- well was divided " by a line beginning at the North Hill at Benjamin Moor's; thence to Widow Hewres' and Samuel Jamison's and in a straight line to the South Hill." the western division to be called Antrim (in what is now Franklin County) and the eastern retaining the name of Hopewell. In 1745 Penns- borough seems to have been divided, as the returns are then first made from East Pennsborough and West Pennsborough. Dickinson was formed from a portion of West Pennsborough in 1785: Silvers' Spring (now Silver Spring) from part of East Pennsborough in 1757, and Middleton was divided into North and South Middleton in 1810. the original township of Middleton having been formed as early as 1750, when the county was organized. [See Chapter III. ]

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

The first courts at Carlisle were held in a temporary log building on the northeast corner of the Public Square, where St. John's Church now stands. About 1766 a small brick court house was erected in the southwest quarter of the Square. March 3, 1801, the county commissioners advertised for proposals to build " a house for the safe keeping of the public records of the county," which are known to have been nearly completed December 22, 1802. It was a build- ing also of brick, adjoining the court house. In 1809 a cupola and bell were placed upon the court house. An incendiary fire on the morning of Monday, March 24, 1845, destroyed these buildings, with the fire company's apparatus in a building close by. The county records were mostly saved through the efforts of the citizens. The court house bell, which fell and was melted in the fire, was a gift from some of the members of the old Penn family and had been greatly prized. Steps were at once taken to erect a new court house, .and the present substantial fire-proof brick building was completed in 1846, hav- ing cost $48,419. It is 70x90 feet with a row of fine Corinthian columns in front, and is surmounted by a belfry in which are a clock and bell.

A stone jail was built about 1754, on the northwest corner of High and Bed- ford Streets and was enlarged in 1790. A petition to the Assembly for aid to complete it in 1755 met with no response. Stocks and a pillory were also erect- ed on the Public Square in 1754, and it was many years before their use and the custom of cropping the ears of culprits were abolished. The present massive jail, with a brown stone front and an appearance like that of an ancient feudal castle, with battlemented towers, was built in 1853-54 at a cost of $42,960. It stands on the site of the old one and has a yard in the rear surrounded by a high and solid stone wall. The sheriff resides in the front part of the building.

The poor of the county were for many years either " collected near the dwell- ing of some one appointed to have charge of them, or farmed out to those who for a compensation were willing to board them." It was not until about 1830 that an alms-house was erected and then after much " consultation and negotia- tion" the fine farm and residence of Edward J. Stiles, about two miles east of Carlisle, in Middlesex Township, were purchased for the purpose, and addi- tional buildings have since been erected. Mr. Stiles was paid $13,250 for his property. In 1873, at a cost of $33,284, a building was erected especially for the accommodation of the insane and idiotic. Many improvements have been made on the farm and it is a credit to the county.

From the territory originally embraced in Cumberland County Bedford was formed in 1771; Northumberland in 1772; Franklin in 1784; Mifflin in 1789 and Perry in 1820. These have been in turn subdivided until now, 1886, the same territory embraces about forty counties, with won drous resources, great wealth and extensive agricultural, mining, stock and manufacturing interests. Cumberland County as now existing includes a tract thirty-four miles long and from eight to sixteen miles in width. Of its total area, 239,784 acres are im- proved.

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Author: Publication date: Publisher: W. Taylor Number of Pages: 1280

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher: W. Taylor
Number of Pages: 1280