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 50

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Publisher: W. Taylor
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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 50
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 50

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EARLY HOTELS IN SHIPPENSBURG.

The earliest public house in Shippensburg was, in all probability. that of "The Widow Piper." It existed as early as 1735, when a number of persons living in the vicinity met to protest against the new road running through

Daniel Viathe

265

BOROUGH OF SHIPPENSBURG.

" the barrens. ". Here, for many years, the public business was transacted, and in it, it is possible, the first courts were held. f

"A brewery was started at a very early day in the building now known as the Black Bear Hotel. This building was erected for that purpose, and the business of brewing was carried on there for a number of years; at first by Adam Carnahan, and afterward by James Brown. This house was subse- quently converted into a tavern, and was first kept by n man named John Saylor, who was succeeded by Jacob Raum, he by John Snyder, and he, in 1821. by Jacob Hartzell. * We find that this hotel was known as the " Black Bear " as early or prior to 1792; for in the records of the court, August, 1792, there is a petition for a " road from the sign of the Bear in King Street past Reynold's mill to Middle Spring Church," which was granted. And, among public papers owned lately by the late JJason Eby, kindly furnished to us by Christian Humrich, E-q., we find the original petition presented to the court in August, 1792, as follows: "The bumble Petition of Jacob Rahm, of Ship- pensburg, Humbly Sheweth-That your Petitioner, having provided a Com- modions House & accomodations for Travellers in the Town of Shippensburg, Humbly prays your Honorable Court to grant him a licence for the purpose of keeping a house of intertainment in the said town," etc. $

There was also a hotel in Shippensburg prior to 1792, known by the name of the " Black Horse." For in another petition to this term of court (August, 1792) from Patrick Cochran. we find "that the petitioner hath lately rented and now occupies the commodions and long accustomed public house known by the name of the Black Horse, in Shippensburg, where he is well provided with liquor and all other necessaries for a public house, and also has had many repairs made for the better accommodation of travellers." There was also another hotel in Shippensburg, in and prior to 1792, know by the name of the "King of Prussia." The application is by Conrad Beamer, presented at the same term of court (August, 1792), who prays that " Whereas your petitioner continnes to keep the old accustomed and commodious tavern known by the name of the ' King of Prussia.' in Shippensburg." that the court will recom- mend him to his Excellency the Governor for license to continue a public house in the said place. One other petition is made, also Angust, 1792, by George McCandless, who " hath kept a house of entertainment in the house where he now lives, the preceding year, and is desirions of continuing the same." And this is all we know of the "taverns" of ye Town of Shippensburg." before the beginning of this eentury.

Following the Indian moccasin, "when the days of the pack-horse had passed away, the Black Bear Hotel became the principal stopping place for wagons engaged in the transportation of merchandise to the West." Ship- pensburg was then lively with this traffic to and from Pittsburgh and Philadel- phia. But the Conestoga teams, with their noise and bustle, have passed away. They have ceased "to collect nightly in groups around the house," and the recollection of them, even, has grown dim.

Sixty years ago there were six wagon maker shops, each employing a num- ber of hands, and nine blacksmith shops all busily employed.

· Jlistorleal Di-course Middle Spring by Rev. S S. Wylie.

+ There Is, in the records a bill of sale from Jannet l'iper, of shippensburg, innkeeper, io 1755.

[ Hoo. John MeCurdy's sketch in Wing.

¿ The petitioner of this is recommended by John Ileap, a handsome signature, Jaerb Blocher. James ('is- sire.(?) samuel Quigley. James Moore, Patrick ''ochran and Samuel Rippey, the latter by John Scott. Thomas Wilson, Robert Colwell. Samuel Colwell, Mexander Beatty. William Bell, John White, Samuel Prebles, R Mol'ail. Williato Brookins, William Barr, John Hleap and Samuel Mitchell, " residents of shippensburg and parte adjacent."

Many of these wagons were made at Shippensburg aod Loudon, and this was one of the most prominent Industries of the place.

266

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

CHURCHES.

The Scotch Irish Presbyterians who settled at Shippensburg belonged to the church at Middle Spring, so that no church of that denomination was for some time erected. Mr. Shippen and his agents, and the Goverment employes at Forts Morris and Franklin, located at Shippensburg, were Episcopalians, and "an effort was made to establish an Episcopal Church. This scheme, how- ever, never promised to be successful, and when the agents withdrew, was abandoned."*

In 1767 Lot 59 was conveyed by Mr. Shippen to Francis Campble in trust, for a Presbyterian Church, "with yearly rent of one penny sterling," and a log house was erected about 1768, but little used, and was turned into a schoolhouse, neglected, and finally torn down. The adjoining Lot 60 had previously been set apart and used for the burial of the dead. There was early a Reformed Associate Presbyterian Church in Shippensburg. "Lot 216 on the village plot was, June 2, 1794, deeded by the Shippen brothers to this church, and a stone meeting-house was erected on it about 1797, which was subsequently enlarged," and is still standing. Its pastors were Rev. James Walker, ordained September 4, 1799 (of congregations of Shippensburg and Chambersburg, giving to each half his time), resigned August 8, 1820. Rev. Thomas Strong, ordained (over the two churches) October 23, 1821, at which time a union was formed between his congregation in Shippensburg and the members of the church at Middle Spring, who resided in or near the village. On February 18, 1824, Rev. Henry R. Wilson, D. D., was installed and re- mained till October, 1839. He was born near Gettysburg in 1780; graduated at Dickinson College under Nesbit; was chosen professor of languages in that institution in 1806. He preached in the First Presbyterian Church at Car- lisle, as colleague with Dr. Davidson. In 1814 accepted call at Silver's Spring, from which place he went to Shippensburg. He died in Philadelphia March 22, 1849.

He was followed by Rev. James Harper in 1840, who served till May 8, 1870, and was succeeded, in 1872, by Rev. W. W. Taylor, succeeded, in May, 1875, by Rev. W. A. McCarrell.

In April, 1839, a suit was brought for the exclusive right to the church property by a few Associate Reform members still remaining in the town, which was successful. The little society gradually dwindled away, and the church building was leased to the borough for school purposes for ninety-nine years, for $1,000. When this case was decided, the Presbyterian Congrega- tion purchased a lot in another portion of the town and erected the neat brick edifice in which they worship. A new church is now being erected.

Methodist Church. - The first church was built in 1790. It was a log struct- ure, one story high, and stood on the northwest end of the lot where the old brick church stands. At first the congregation was small, but it grew in strength and importance, and has included in its membership many of the most prom- inent residents of the town. In 1825, a new brick church was erected on the southwest end of the old lot. It was used about half a century. The present church, on King Street, was built in 1875.

German Reformed and Lutheran .- Some time during the latter part of the last century a lot located on the southeast corner of Orange and Queen Streets was selected as a place of burial by the Lutheran aud Reformed denomina- tions, and on it a log church was erected, which was used until about 1812.

*Until the ( Presbyterian) organization was effected, the Episcopal element was, perhaps, dominant in the borough, through the influence of Mr. Shippen, the proprietor, who was connected with that denomination." -Nevin's Churches of the Valley, p. 155.

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BOROUGH OF SHIPPENSBURG.

In about that year a brick church was erected, where the German Reformed Church now stands, and was at first used as a place of worship by both con- gregations. After some time the two congregations separated, each erecting a church edifice of its own.

A brick church was built by the denomination known as the Church of God about 1828, which was torn down in 1870, when the present one was ereeted.

In 1868 the United Brethren built their present church on North Penn Street.

CEMETERIES.

The burial places of Shippensburg having become full of the bodies of those who, during more than a century of its existence, had taken up their abode "in the dark house and narrow bed " in the various inelosures. A new burial place, known as the "Spring Hill Cemetery," was incorporated Jan- nary 18, 1561, and twelve acres of land, which were purchased for that pur- pose, were laid out into lots. We may mention that the first burial in these grounds was that of Robert McFarland, who had contracted a fever in the army, and that of thirty two soldiers who served in the late war are buried beneath its sod.

SCHOOLS.

There are nine public schools in Shippensburg, which are taught for eight months during the year: but the main educational institution is "The Cum- berland Valley State Normal School." which was chartered in 1870 and opened on April 15. 1973, with a registered list of 300 pupils. Its corner- stone was laid on May 31, 1871. The building, which is about one-fourth of a mile north of town, is a handsome architectural design, and is situated on a commanding eminence, surrounded by beautiful and spacious grounds, taste- fully laid out. It was erected at a cost of over $125,000.

NEWSPAPERS.

There have been ten papers published in Shippensburg since the formation of the town. One, the " Valley Spirit," was, about 1846, moved to Cham- bersburg, where it is still published. Another, the Valley Sentinel, was bought by Henry K. Peffer, Esq., who moved it to Carlisle, where it is still pub- lished. The present papers in Shippensburg are the Shippensburg News, established in 1844, and the Shippensburg Chronicle, started in 1875.

BANK.

There is one National Bank in Shippensburg, which was established under the title "The First National Bank of Shippensburg," in 1866.

SOCIETIES.

Cumberland Valley Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., was instituted February 18, 1858, with following named charter members: Rev. James Colder, Rev. F. A. Rupley, Henry Ruby, Sr .. Jacob Heck. John S. Blair, John Wunderlich, R J. Lawton and Rev. D. A. Laverty. Prosent membership, twenty-nine. Present officers: John Wolf. W. M .; J. M. Gardner, S. W .; S. M. Houston, J. W .; S. C. Henderson, Treas .; W. M. Geesaman, Sec.

Lincoln Lodge, No. 38, A. Y. M. (colored), instituted in IS69; has about eighteen members. Present officers are Henry Johnston, W. M .; George A. Barnes, Jr., S. W .; Edward Arthur, J. W. ; William A. Barnett, Sec. ; Thomas Miller, Treas.

Valley Encampment, No. 3%, I. O. O. F., was chartered June 22, 1846, with charter members William F'. Carey, John C. Altick, William B. Cochran,

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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

John Fisher, J. H. M. Peebles, John A. Clippinger and John Bender. Pres- ent membership thirty-eight. Present officers: G. F. Cressler, C. P .; G. S. Clark, H. P .; Elmer E. Shelley, S. W .; R. W. Hockersmith, J. W .; J. K. L. Mackey, Scribe; W. J. Angle, Treas.

Cumberland Lodge, No. 90, I. O. O. F., was organized December 12, 1843, the charter members being William F. Carey, B. F. Irvin, William H. Hoo- ver, John McCurdy and John C. Altick. Present membership, seventy-two. Present officers: George W. Noftsker, N. G .; J. E. Wolfe, V. G .; John A. Fleming, Treas .; J. K. L. Mackey, Sec.

Mount Allo Lodge, G. U. O. F., No. 1941 (colored), was organized in 1879 with about twenty members. Discontinued working in 1885.

Royal Arcanum. - There was also organized, August 24, 1886, for social and insurance benefits, a council of the Royal Arcanum.

CHAPTER XIX.

BOROUGH OF SHIREMANSTOWN.

LOCALITY-ORIGIN OF NAME-CHURCHES-SOCIETIES-MISCELLANEOUS.

CHIREMANSTOWN is situated on the main road leading from Carlisle to New Cumberland, known as the Simpson Ferry Road, and within a short distance of the Cumberland Valley Railroad in a fertile and highly improved portion of the county.

It is twelve miles east of Carlisle and five miles west of Harrisburg. It derives its name from Daniel Shireman, one of the first residents and land- owners of most of the place upon which the town is built, and who kept a hotel there for a period of some years. The first house was built by John Davis about 1812 or 1814. It was afterward used as a hotel, and still later as a store, which was the earliest one kept in the town.

Shiremanstown was incorporated as a borough in August, 1874.

CHURCHES.

There are three churches. The first was originally a frame building, one story high, erected as a union house of worship in 1838, but since enlarged and remodeled by the Church of God.

United Brethren. - This society erected their church in 1854. It is two stories high, the lower portion being built of limestone, and the upper part of brick.

Messiah's Church .- This is also two stories in height; was erected in 1867, and is the handsomest church edifice in the town. The seats and doors are made of polished chestnut. Its bell, cast in 1787, is the oldest one now in Cumberland County.

SOCIETIES.

Irene Lodge, No. 425, K. of P., instituted in March, 1874, has a member- ship of about fifty-seven. The officers are D. Y. Zimmerman, P. C .; D. C. Eberly, C. C .; William Welty, V. C .; John G. Bentz, P .; L. O Sheaffer, K. of R. and S .; W. H. Zearing, M. of F .; J. Morris Miller, M. of E .; J. E. Straining, M. of A.

269

COOK TOWNSHIP.

Beneficial Society of Shiremanstown was organized in 1841, with the follow- ing officers: William R. Gorgas, president; Dr. William Mateer, vice- presi- dent; Lovi Merkel, treasurer; Daniel Shelley, secretary. Membership num- bers about seventy. Present officers are Dr. W. S. Bruckart, president; Christian Stoner, vice-president ; David C. Mohler, secretary; Joseph A. Willis, treasurer; A. H. Dill, financial secretary.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The borough, besides its warehouses, wagon shops and stores, has also a large, commodious, brick schoolhouse, built in 1868 by Lower Allen Township before the borough was incorporated.

The Cumberland Valley Railroad passes through the borough from east to west, and does considerable business at this point.

CHAPTER XX.

COOK TOWNSHIP.

OOK TOWNSHIP, at present the youngest township in Cumberland Coun- ) ty, was formed from the southern part of Pennsylvania in the year 1872. The whole of it is mountain land. well timbered, and containing at places largo quantities of valuable iron ore. There are several streams in the township. the most important of which is the Mountain Creek, which, after being formed by the junction of two smaller streams near Pine Grove, flows in a slightly north- easterly direction through the mountainous portion of Dickinson Township; then almost north, through South Middleton, until it empties into the Yellow Breeches Creek.

The State road from Carlisle to Gettysburg passes through the wild and uncultivated mountain scenery of this township, as does also the Harrisburg & Gettysburg Railroad, which was originally built, in 1869-70, as the South Mountain Road. from Carlisle to Pine Grove, by the South Mountain Iron Company. for the development of their extensive property at that place. In 1883, under the name of the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad, it was ex- tended from Hunters Run, a station on the former road, to the celebrated "Round Top. " on the battle field. three miles beyond Gettysburg. It was opened for travel on April 21, 1554 .* J. C. Fuller was the first president and William H. Woodward the first general superintendent, secretary and treasurer, a position which he still holds. The road has established a popular and pleasant park near Pine Grove Furnace, in the midst of the wild moun- tains, and which is one of the most attractive places of its kind which is to be found in the county.

The chief property, however, of the company, in the township, is the Pine Grove Furnace and the Laurel Forge, with about 25.000 acres of land, some small part of which, however, is in Adams County. These Pine Grove Iron Works are located on Mountain Creek abont ten miles north of Mount Holly Springs. It is not known when the first furnace was erected at this place. The tract of about 150 acres was originally granted by Thomas and Richard

* in August of this frst year, over 50,000 people were carried over the road in ten days to tho encampment of the National Guards of Pennsylvania at Gettysburg.

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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Penn, in July, 1762, to Samuel Pope, and on the 7th of October of that year it was conveyed by him to George Stevenson, who was a partner at that time in the Carlisle Iron Works, at Boiling Springs. George Stevenson was born in Dublin in 1718, educated at Trinity College and came to America about the middle of the last century. He was a prominent man-a judge at one time of the connties of York and Cumberland by a commission in 1755 under the reign of George II. He was later a prominent lawyer at Carlisle. In con- nection with William Thompson (afterward a general), and George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he became a large land-owner and manufacturer of iron, and erected, in 1764, a furnace and forge (known as Mary Ann Furnace) in York County. In 1769 he removed to Carlisle and en- gaged in the iron business at Mount Holly. He married Mary Cookson, the widow of Thomas Cookson, the deputy surveyor who laid out the town of Car- lisle. In 1772 George Stevenson conveyed this Pine Grove property to Find- lay McGrew, in which deed it is described " as being the same tract as was surveyed by William Lyon, Esq., and whereon the said Findlay McGrew hath lately erected a saw mill," etc .; and in the year following, McGrew conveyed said tract to Jacob Simons, who, in December, 1782, conveyed it, together with another tract which he had improved, to Michael Ege and the two Thornbergs, Thomas and Joseph. It is in this deed that the property is called the Pine Grove Iron-works-a name by which it has been known ever since. Michael Ege continued to own this property until his death in 1815, after which it was confirmed, by proceedings in partition, to his son Peter Ege, since which time it has passed through various hands, until it came into the possession of the present owners.

The only postoffice in the township is called Pine Grove Furnace, and the only iron way is the South Mountain Railroad, spoken of fully above.

CHAPTER XXI.

DICKINSON TOWNSHIP.

D ICKINSON TOWNSHIP was formed from a portion of West Pennsborough Township, April 17, 1785. At its formation it included the townships of Penn and Cook, and in all probability extended from South Middleton on the east to Newton on the west; and from the "great road leading from Harrisburg to Chambersburg on the north," to the Adams County line on the south. It is a rectangular township, now bounded by South Middleton (east), Penn (west), West Pennsborough (north), Adams County (south), and is about twelve miles long, north and south, and about five miles wide. The character of its soil is, in the north, undulating limestone land, which portion is covered with fine farms in a high state of cultivation. The southern portion, beginning at the Yellow Breeches Creek, is sand and gravel land, which industry has made productive; while the extreme southern section of the township is a mountain region, covered with a light growth of oak, chestnut and yellow pine. The Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad and the South Mountain branch, also the Mountain Creek pass through this southern section, while the Harrisburg & Potomac Railroad, running almost parallel with the Yellow Breeches Creek, passes through the center of the township.

271

DICKINSON TOWNSHIP.

The original settlers of this township were Scotch Irish. They seemed to have settled first upon the Yellow Breeches Creek, upon which stream they purchased from the Proprietaries large tracts of land. Many of the descend ants of these original settlers still live upon those lands.

One of the earliest land owners in this section was Michael Ege, the elder, who came into Cumberland County at a very early period. He owned n tract which extended from somewhere about Boiling Springs, to what is now Hay's Station, on the Harrisburg & Potomac Railroad, a distance of nbout twelve miles. The bulk of this land lay between what is known as the first and sec ond range of hills along the the South Mountain, which, in Dickinson, extend down on the north side of the mountain a considerable distance into the valley, at some places as far north as the Yellow Breeches Creek. This property was distributed among his children, but, with the exception of the Carlisle Iron- works, the whole of it passed out of their hands in the first generation. A large portion of this Ege tract, perhaps all of that which went to Mrs. Wilson, a daughter of Michael Ege, a considerable time after her death, and after much of it had been improved and made into farms by the purchasers, was claimed by Mrs. Wilson's heirs. This claim gave rise to very protracted liti- gation. It involved the title to perhaps a hundred farms or pieces of property in what is now Penn Township. After various conflicting decisions it was finally decided in favor of the purchasers and against the Wilson heirs.

Among the early settlers of the township were the Houcks, or two families of Houcks. They owned what was known as the Salome Forge. The Gal breaths were an old family, as were also the Weakleys and the Lees. The Weakleys probably settled in this section as early as 1732, and owned large tracts of land four generations ago, including that now known as Barnitz Mill. Another branch of the Weakley family settled just above the Cumberland Furnace, and owned the land about Spring Mills, now called Huntsdale, and considerable farm land north, extending to the Dickinson Presbyterian Church. which is built upon land donated for that purpose by (William L. Weakley) one of the family.

Three generations ago the Lees, *(four brothers, Warren, Thomas, Holiday and George), lived on the Walnut Bottom Road. The easternmost of these farms was afterwards owned by the late Sterritt Woods. These men were large, fine physical specimens of men, social, and who were fond "of the chace dancing, fiddling and hospitality." Another old family were the Woods'. There was a large cluster of them in what is now the central por- tion of Dickinson Township. They owned large farms, probably in all about 1,000 acres. Of this family, within the recollection of men living. was Richard Woods, Squire, and Capt. Samuel Woods, who is said to have been the determined juror who was instrumental in acquitting Prof. MeClintock when he was tried for inciting the riots in Carlisle. Capt. Woods was a large man, who weighed probably over 200 pounds, walked always with a stoop, was quiet, almost forbidding in his manner, but was in reality one of the most benevolent and kindest men that ever lived. Another, David Glenn, came from the north of Newville, and settled in this portion of the county in about 1525. He owned from the Walnut Bottom Road out to the Yellow Breeches Creek. He is described as a strict Covenanter.

Gen. Thomas C. Miller came (about 1830) and remained in the township until his death. He was the father of William H. Miller, Esq., a prominent

*The Lec family, of Dickinson Township, acquired the title to their lands by the old English ceremony of livery of seisen-or feudal investiture, the only instance of this kind which we know of in Cumberland County.

272

HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

lawyer, still well remembered. of Carlisle. He had been a volunteer officer in the war of 1812, fought at Lundy's Lane and along the Canada border, after which he settled in Adams County, when he was elected to the Senate in the days when Thaddeus Stevens was a member of that body. He then came to Cumberland County and bought the Cumberland Furnace property, quite close to Huntsdale, just on the eastern border of Penn Township. He was a tall, venerable, fine looking man, proud, a good talker, and possessed of unusual ability. During the days of slavery, the South Mountain afforded a hiding place for colored people who attempted to escape from bondage, and Dickin- son Township received its full share of these fugitives. In the year 1859, just before the breaking out of the Rebellion, occurred the last case of this kind. Three negroes, John Butler, wife and child, came in 1859 to reside in Dickinson Township, and lived in a small house near the Spruce Run. They had been slaves in Maryland, but had been manumitted by will at the death of their owner. The estate, as it turned out afterward, was insolvent, and the administrators sent their deputies to capture the human property, who were regarded as assets of the estate. At about midnight on the 12th of June, these negroes were stolen from their homes. Prompt measures were taken by the citizens of the township to discover the perpetrators of the crime, and among these, Richard Woods and John Morrison were particularly active. Myers, the principal kidnaper, was arrested just before reaching the Mary- land line, and brought to Carlisle for trial.

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

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