USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 30
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James Jackson
1
BRECKNOCK TOWNSHIP.
673
neighborhood was more uniformly respected. As a religious teacher he was most highly esteemed in the Society of Friends, and his memory is greatly re- vered, not only by his large family of children and grandchildren, but by the entire community in which he spent a long and nseful life.
The children of James and Abigail Jackson are as follows: Mary R., born July 4, 1830, wife of Joseph H. Brosins, a farmer in Sadsbury township (three children, Ella, Idella, and Anna Mary) ; Thomas R., born Nov. 28, 1832, drowned Ang. 28, 1834; Eliza, born May 7, 1834, wife of Thomas Baker, farmer in Coleraine township (five children living,-Abbie, Al- lison, James Eugene, Xanthus, and Lewis) ; Edith Ann, born July 22, 1835, died Dec. 13, 1842; Lydia T., born April 7, 1837, lived with her father and mother until their death, at present time with her brother, James J .; William L., born March 15, 1839, married Lydia W., daughter of George and Hannah Walton, born Dec. 26, 1842, farmer in Sadsbury township (five children, Hannah B., James II., Mary F .; Elsie Louisa, and Jessie W.) ; Thomas Elwood, born Sept. 5, 1842, farmer in Bart township, married Annetta Lucilla, daughter of Owen and Sarah Ann Williams, who was born May 14, 1841 (children, James Norwood and Thomas Baker) ; James Josiah, born Nov. 4, 1845, owning and occupying the home- stead farm, married Josephine, danghter of Abner and Abbie ( Andrews) Davis, who was born March 16, 1849 (children, Abner Davis, Abbie, Attey Elwood, Bertha Kirkwood, and Ralph Garfield).
CHAPTER XXXIX.
BRECKNOCK TOWNSHIP.1
THIS was not one of the original townships erected in 1729. Careful research in the Quarter Sessions records fails to show that any petition was presented or any action of the court taken in reference to the organization of a township by this name. The first record of the county commissioners contains the as- sessments of the different townships, but the name of Brecknoek does not appear until Jan. 10, 1740, when the township is mentioned with an assessed valnation of £2 2s. Leonard Prideston was the col- lector. The lack of a record of the organization of Breeknock renders it difficult to determine from what township it was taken or what was the extent of its territory. In 1752, when Berks County was erected, the northeast portion of the township became a part of that county, and retained the name of Breck nock in the new organization. Since that time the terri- tory of the township has remained unchanged.
The name Brecknock, as well as that of the ad- joining township of Caernarvon, is of Welsh origin. There were early settlers, immigrants from Wales, who sought and found homes along the head-waters of the Conestoga. It was but natural for them to transplant 'names familiar and dear to them in the old country to their new homes on this side of the ocean.
The surface of this township is diversified by hills, generally rocky and wooded, and valleys traversed by streams of clear water. From the summits of some of the hills situated in its northern portion, the Fur- nace Ridge, spurs of the Blue Mountains, are descried towards the north, rearing their blue, misty forms in the dim distance. Its sonth and west borders are formed by branches of Muddy Creek, which, with one or two other branches that traverse the interior, combine to form the Big Muddy Creek, which falls into the Conestoga at Hinkletown. On the north- east it is bounded on Berks County by a line running northwest and southeast through a very rough and mountainous country, where in some localities un- wieldy iron rocks are piled on each other in huge pyramids. Here the magnetic needle, attracted by ferruginous matter in the earth, deviates in some places ten to twelve degrees from its true position.
There are traditions that Swiss emigrants settled here because they thought the face of the country resembled the rugged scenery of their old homes. Among others there was a family named Mosser, who owned a large traet of this mountainous territory, which was generally known in the neighborhood as " Die Schweitz." There are several places here that almost deserve the title of natural curiosities. One is known as "The Devil's Cave," a collection of large bowlders piled on each other in confusion. It appears as if the earth had been gradually washed away from between these rocks, leaving large openings wide enough for a human being to enter to a considerable distance and in various directions. Another is called " The Rock Cellar." This is an apartment of consid- erable dimensions, of regular shape, formed in the solid rocks, easy of access, with light through the crevices of the walls. Ilere it is well known that drafted militiamen during the Revolutionary war, preferring the lives of hermits to the dangers of the Continental army in the tented field, found a compara- tively sate retreat from the pursuit of the provost-mar- shal's guard. One of these refugees was a cooper by trade, and in these mountain solitudes followed his occupation, where, no doubt, there was a plentiful supply of wood for staves and hoop-poles.
The first settlements seem to have been made in the valleys of the Black Muddy Creek and that branch on which Good's mill was erected. The earliest war- rants issued out of the land-office bear date in 1737. On Jan. 9, 1737, a warrant was obtained by Robert Warburton, in pursuance of which a tract of one hun-
1 By John B. Good.
43
674
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
dred and seventy-seven acres and the usual allowance ofsix per cent. for roads was surveyed. This tract ex- tended across Black Muddy Creek into Earl township. The title to it, by mesne conveyances, having become vested in William Morris, he obtained a patent for it dated Jan. 21, 1768.
In pursuance of another warrant dated Dec. 21, 1737, a tract of two hundred and thirty-one aeres and allowance was surveyed on May 13, 1738, and also pat- ented to said William Morris, Oct. 12, 1742. This tract adjoins the above and also extended into Earl township.
The name of William Morris stands prominent among the early settlers of Brecknock. Who he was and where he came from is not known, but the orthog- raphy of his name indicates rather Welsh than Teu- tonic extraction. He purchased extensive tracts of land from the Penns, who were the proprietors of the soil, and some time afterwards, on having sold a part of said land to Jacob Schneder, erected substantial sandstones, with the initials of his name legibly en- graved thereon, as landmarks to designate the boun- daries of his estate.
From one to two miles farther north, on another branch of Muddy Creek, near the site of the present village of Bowmansville, Jacob Good 1 and Christian Good, two brothers, with their brother-in-law, John Musselman, with their respective families, settled about the same time. These emigrants were Men- nonites from the Palatinate. As the adjoining town- ship of Earl and the valley of the Conestoga in gen- eral had been settled at an earlier period, principally by emigrants from the same country and of like relig- ious faith, they received considerable friendly assist- ance from that quarter. Jacob Good, arriving at the spot chosen for the erection of his new home, on the right bank of the stream, a short distance below the confluence of the two forks of the middle branch of Muddy Creek, about a mile below Bowmansville, took lodging under the inviting shelter of a patriarchal white-oak tree, where he deposited such household goods as he had brought along with him, and with the assistance of his friends, the Zimmermans, from Earl, commenced the erection of such a house as the times and circumstances would permit. Ile at once purchased the ground on which he had settled with his family. The deed, which is from John Penn, is dated in 1738, and embraced a tract of six hundred and twenty-eight acres and the usual allowance.
This new home was completely isolated from the rest of the civilized world. Its inmates were ignorant of the existence of any neighbors until one day the clarion voice of a cock greeted the ears of the puter- .familias while wandering through the woods at some distance from his house. This led to the joyous dis- covery that other settlers had also come to the same neighborhood. Then their Immediate surroundings
were anything but assuring and calculated to inspire them with confidence. The country was a wilderness, one vast forest, inhabited by wild beasts and Indians. As yet there were no roads, no houses, gardens, fields, or orchards.
Jacob Good had but two children, both sons, named respectively Peter and Jacob. He divided the ample paternal domain equally between them. Peter with his family afterwards removed to Cumberland County. The younger Jacob was twice married, and had five sons and one daughter with his first and four sons and one daughter with his second wife. With his last wife and her children he emigrated to Virginia. His descendants by his first wife are still residing in the neighborhood, some of them on part of the original tract.
Half a mile higher up on the south fork of said branch of Muddy Creek, and about a quarter of a mile south from Bowmansville, Christian Good, brother of Jacob Good, the elder, settled, and erected the first grist-mill in the township, occupying the spot where the large flouring-mill of Mr. Henry Von Neida is now situated. The original tract on which this brother settled was bounded on the north by a line running nearly due east and west through the present village of Bowmansville; on the west by the stream forming the boundary between him and his brother Jacob until its confluence with the mill-stream, thence south- erly to Casper Messner's land, which adjoined it on the south. On the east its boundaries are not definitely known. While this tract included a large area, it is believed that it was still considerably smaller than the extensive territory of his brother.
Whether the mill was built originally of wood or stone is not known, but tradition says that the mill and the dwelling were all under one roof. Later a stone mill and separate stone dwelling-houses were erected, which were removed to make places for more modern structures within the memory of many persons now living. In one of these dwellings religious ser- vices were held before the erection of a separate meet- ing-house. It is possible that there was a time when the same building simultaneously served the purposes of a mill, dwelling-house, and church.
Christian Good raised a family of seventeen chil- dren,-six sons and eleven daughters. One of the sons, named Jacob, was the grandfather of the com- piler of these memoirs. His will remains on file among the old and musty papers in the register's office at Lancaster. It is dated Muddy Creek, Ang. 11, 1757. There is a paper filed with it which serves but a poor apology for a translation. A memorandum of its pro- bate in Will-Book B, page 184, states that the will, being in German, could not be recorded. The will commences with a quotation from Hebrew ix. 17: "A testament is of force after men are dead," and provides that the widow (named Magdalena) and children should continue the family till the youngest was fourteen years old. The executors were Marks
1 The names originally were Guth and Moseman.
675
BRECKNOCK TOWNSHIP.
Groff (believed to be a son of the famous Hans) and John Good, the oldest son, and concludes with an exhortation to the latter to be a proper example to his younger brothers and sisters, while they in turn are admonished to be obedient and subject to him.
At the same time (1737) John Musselman located on a tract of land about one mile north from the mill, and along the north fork of said branch of Muddy Creek, where until lately some of his lineal descendants resided, who used to relate the sayings of their great- grandsire, that when he wished to earn a regular day's wages he could not obtain work nearer home than in the neighborhood of New Holland, a distance of over eight miles. Between the Christian Good and John Musselman tracts a farm of one hundred and thirty acres was located, which at the time of the Revolu- tion and afterwards belonged to Ullich Burkholder, of whom more will be said hereafter.
About one mile farther north from Musselman's place Francis Diller, a Swiss, erected the first distil- lery in Brecknock, on land which until recently be- longed to the Steffys. Farther south from the place where the Goods first settled, on both sides of the creek, Francis Eckert took up the tract of land after- wards owned by the Messners, and east of the Goods' settlement Hermann Deis settled on a tract afterwards owned by the Kern family.
Another tract of land containing two hundred and seventy acres and allowance was surveyed in pursu- ance of a warrant issued to Casper Mason, which was the Anglicized name of Messner, dated June 15, 1748, afterwards patented to him Dec. 11, 1760, the patent being recorded at Philadelphia, in Patent-Book AA, vol. ii. page 118. This tract adjoined the herein- before named Jacob Good and Christian Good and others.
Probably about the date of this patent the dwell- ing-house, which still remains standing and continues to be used as a farm-house, was erected on this tract. It is a two-story stone building, with high peaked roof, resting on extraordinary heavy framework, the main rafters of which are over a foot in thickness. There are still some outbuildings in the yard covered with tile which in all probability once formed a part of the roof of this house. There are only two apart- ments on the first floor, a kitchen and a room with an enormously large stone chimney between them, con- taining a proportionately capacious fireplace on the first floor in the kitchen, and a smaller fireplace on the second floor, the chimney being double from the second floor upwards. The window-sashes, originally of lead, have long ago been changed into wooden sash, except a small remnant of the old relic which still remains in one of the kitchen windows.
Tradition says that at the period of its erection a two-story stone dwelling of sneh size and character was an object of wonder and curiosity, and that num- bers of visitors from 'the valley of the Conestoga eame to behold the architectural skill and splendor dis-
played in the erection of this, in their eyes, so mag- nificent a structure.
Jacob Schneder, a man remarkable in the early history of Breeknock township, on account of the ad- vanced age to which he lived and the extensive tracts of land he owned in his time, purchased this property for his son, Baltzer Sehneder, who moved on it April 15, 1796. He in turn sold it to Christian Pleam, who died in the old house March 13, 1877.
It appears that Jacob Schneder must have been born about the time these early settlers first came into the township, for he died on his old homestead, near Centre Church, July 9, 1829, at the age of ninety- four years. He had been married at the age of sev- enty-five years to a woman named Kafroth. It is related of him that he was displeased with his son Baltzer because he had married a poor girl named Kitzmiller, but ultimately relented and purchased the plantation above mentioned for him.
The original mansion on the William Marris tract, near Centre Church, in East Earl township, in which the aged patriarch, Jacob Schneder, died, though changed and modernized, has its old walls still stand- ing, and is ocenpied and used as a farm-house.
About one mile south of Bowmansville a man named John Boehm commenced the erection of a large two-story stone dwelling-house. The breaking out of the war of the Revolution and the consequent dispersion of the workmen, who either volunteered or were drafted into the patriot army, interrupted the progress of the building, and the structure remained incomplete until the close of the war. This dwell- ing-house is peculiar in its arrangement. The kitchen, with a large fireplace, is built in front of the main dwelling and attached to it. There are fireplaces arranged for burning wood on each side of the house. The house is well and substantially built, and is still in a good state of preservation.
John Boehm, the proprietor of this mansion, was a man of courage and resolution. During the Revo- lutionary war some evil-diposed persons took advan- tage of the non-resistant principles of the Mennonite settlers in the neighborhood. These iniquitous fel- lows pretended to be government officers, commis- sioned to impress horses, grain, and other valuable military stores, which they fraudulently appropriated to their own use. One Sunday it happened that while Mr. Boehm attended divine worship, then held by the Mennonite society in a private house, Good's mill, one of these men made a raid into the neighbor- hood, and had already captured several valuable horses and was about to carry them off, when Mr. Boehm was informed of the matter. He at once left the house where the religious service was held, pur- sued the robber, and when he overtook him attacked him so vigorously with a piece of broken fence-rail that he surrendered at discretion, and the vietor re- turned in trinmph with his trophy and restored the horses to their owners.
676
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
There was a very large two-story stone dwelling- house, with stone kitchen attached, built in the valley of the Black Muddy Creek, on a portion of the land originally purchased from the proprietaries by the before-named William Morris. It was erected in 1795, by Christian Schneder. The carpenter em- ployed in its construction was Henry Good, who, it seems, was also the architect of a number of other buiklings completed about that period. The front is of regular cut brown sandstone, which has re- mained in almost perfect preservation to the present | day. Another, perhaps yet larger, dwelling of simi- lar architectural style was erected in the same neigh- borhood by Peter Bochm in 1802. There is a hall in the middle of the building, with rooms containing old-fashioned fireplaces, and the kitchen, with large fireplace on either side and brick or mortar floor, attached in the rear.
About the year 1740 the township was organized, and a tax amounting to one pound twelve shillings was assessed on its inhabitants. Leonard Pridenstow was appointed tax-collector. Part of the original territory of Brecknock, as also of that of the adjoining township of Caernarvon, extended into the present county of Berky. In 1752, Berks being erected into a separate county, the division line cut off' portions of both these townships, which now are known as Brecknock and Caernarvon townships, in Berks County.
Two important roads, laid out prior to 1762, tra- verse the township north and south nearly parallel to each other. One leads from the Blue Ball through the village of Bowmansville, since 1833 known as the State road ; the other leads from the present village of Fairville (Terre Hill P. O.), past the Dry Tavern (Muddy Creek P. O.), to Adamstown. Both these ancient roads are crossed-the former at Bowmans- ville and the latter at the Dry Tavern-by another old thoroughfare leading from the Plow Tavern to Reamstown.
At the close of the Revolutionary war the follow- ing were the principal land-owners in the township :
Acres.
Jabob Breidenstein, farmer ....
Adam Barm, simil ... 200
Henry Braunwellet, Masun. 1.50
George Becker, luiuter .. 100
Camper Busser, tailor 120
Ulrich Burkholder, smith. 130
Philip Brundel.
Abınimi Derler, latiner .... 300
Christian Eshelman, farmer
Jacob Fouleda, miller (grist- and saw-mill).
Jacob Frey, fatmet ..... 430
Martin Frey, millet (grist- and saw-mill)
HLI
George Fittet ling.
Rudy Frey, firmer (saw -mill). 200
Christian Frank hauser, farmer.
Peter Frank hauser, assessor. 1:20
Peter Funck, farmer
Widow George. 140
Peter Good, milles (saw- and hemp-mit).
Henry Good, cupenter. 50
Jacob Good, T'aimer.
Hans Good, muller (grist-mill) . 100
Peter Good, furniet,
Christian Goud, farmor.
Samuel Good, farmer
Jacob Good, weaver and farmer ..
Nicholas Haller, farmer. 112
Acres.
Christopher Hefst, captain .
128
F. Haupt, farmer .... 100
Hemy Hoffman, shot maker. 170
Henty Kern, farmer ... 150
. Peter Krtn, farmer. 150
Christopher Kein, Lumet 110
John Lesser, farmel. .... 150
307
Christian Messner, St , faruier. ..
Michael Messner, bumer. 32H
Andrew Muschnan, bunter ... .. 100
Henry Moser, farmer ... 150
Matthias Mosselumen, former ..
Leonnad Muma, fumer
140
Abraham Martin, farmer,
140
Samuel Martin, doctor (grist- and saw-milli 40
140
Hans Oberholtzel.
Jacob Roth, farmer 250
Claistian Suedder, farmel
150
William Surider, collector.
Jacob Stiegler, collector
John Stober, collector .
180
Groupe Stelly, Fulleclor.
130
Julin Tchantz, weaver
100
Henry Would showmaker
Peter Weller farmer.
1Ju
Henty Woll, farmer
John Zuber, farnırı .
173
Anthony Zunmertunn, couper.
119
Of the mill appearing in this list as the property of Jacob Fonieda (whose right name was Von Nieda) it may be observed that the mill is situate on that branch of Muddy Creek forming the western bound- ary line of the township, about one mile south of Adamstown. Peter Sharp died in 1764, the owner of this property, consisting then of one hundred and seventy acres. In 1780 it became the property of John Shaup, who in 1785 sold it to Jacob Von Nieda, who in 1814 sold the mill with twenty-nine and a quarter acres to his son, Philip Von Nieda, after whose death, in 1847, it became the property of his youngest son, William Von Nieda, Esq., from whom it passed into the hands of its present owner, Andrew Emmert.
About two miles lower down the same stream is the mill property in above list mentioned as belonging to Martin Frey. In 1830 the present mill, whose site is about a quartor of a mile lower down the stream, was ereeted by Ephraim Shober, after whose death it passed into the hands of his son, Reuben E. Shober, Esq., who now runs it.
Another mill existed from early times on Muddy Creek, in the southwestern part of the township, in the above list mentioned as belonging to Dr. Samuel Martin. Since that time it has been known as Lu- pold's mill, Overholzer's mill, and Sensenig's mill. Samuel Sensenig is its present owner.
Another mill, not appearing on above list, is situ- ate on Muddy Creek, a short distance below the Dry Tavern, where the saw-mill of Abraham Bixler, Esq., who died there in 1847, was situate. After his death George Martin built the present grist- and saw-mill, now owned by Peter B. Good.
From the list it appears that at that time Peter Good was the proprietor of a saw-mill and hemp-mill. This latter was a machine for preparing the fibre of hemp for spinning. A large stone, in the shape of the frustrum of a cone, was made to roll by machinery.
140
John Steiner, collector
Adam Well, smith
100
Martin Mayer, mason
170
1
BRECKNOCK TOWNSHIP.
677
propelled by water-power on the hemp spread out on a circular floor prepared for the purpose.
At that time all the grist-mills spoken of had special machinery adapted to the hulling of spelt ( Triticum Spelta, a cereal resembling wheat, but covered with thick husks), which had been brought by the early immigrants from their old homes across the water, It was also called "German wheat." But the cultiva- tion of hemp and spelt has long since been abandoned, and mills of that kind are no longer in use.
The only physician who flourished in these primi- tive times in Brecknock was the above-named Dr. Samuel Martin, who owned the mill and farm spoken of before. This man did not pretend to have any scientific knowledge of medicine, but practiced uro- scopy and incantations or powwows in connection with the use of home-made salves and nostrums. Among these may prominently be mentioned brand- pulver (mortification powders), blutreinigung (blood purifier), and a salve to heal fractured bones. Among his cabalistic feats the stanching of bleeding wounds was his grand forte. Patients in danger of bleeding to death, whom the doctor never saw and who were miles away, were by him instantly cured. Children and grown persons suffering from the infernal arts of witches were promptly relieved by this wonderful doctor. Such is the tradition.
From his experience he became skilled in some degree in certain special departments of his profes- sion, and if tradition can be trusted to any extent he performed astonishing cures in cases of fractured bones and by the application of his specific medi- cines. After his death his son, Peter Martin, con- tinued the practice of his father's profession. Ilis practice increased and extended, not only into the neighboring townships but also into Berks County. He acquired some property by his business. Since his death, about 1856, his son, Dr. Samuel Martin, has continued the business, residing still near the old place.
Since the year 1845 the village of Bowmansville has been almost constantly the residence of a practic- ing physician. Dr. A. H. Kissinger, who now resides there, is an old practitioner of experience and exten- aive practice.
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