USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 62
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
located here in 1728). In the same year an attempt was made to lay out the town of New Holland regu- larly. Twenty-five lots were surveyed off this tract, each one with a front of five and a depth of twenty- one perches, subject to an annual ground-rent of. seven shillings. Doubtless those who had already built houses along the sinnous streets were unwilling to conform to the new demand for order and regular- ity, and, in the absence of compulsory authority, building progressed as before. For many years after its settlement it bore the name of Earltown. When this name was lost and that of New Design acquired is uncertain ; it bears this latter appellation in deeds and other papers down to 1763, or perhaps later, but at the time of the Revolution it was called New Hol- land. Its first name, Earltown, was derived from its having been the first as well as most important town in Earl.' Its second name, New Design, was perhaps conferred upon it when it was surveyed and laid out in 1760. This name does not seem to have met with much favor, as it was soon lost and its present one given. Nothing is definitely known whence came the name of New Holland.
Its location is on the New Holland turnpike, thir- teen miles in a northeast direction from Lancaster. It lies continuously on both sides of this road for more than a mile; several attempts have been made to open other streets at right angles with the turn- pike in the hope that the town would grow in other directions than length, but thus far these efforts have not met with any extraordinary degree of success. It is built on a slightly elevated limestone ridge, from whence the ground slopes northward towards the Conestoga, and southward towards Mill Creek.
As has already been said, the first settler built his cabin not on the present site of the town but in the immediate vicinity. Who erected the first house in the town proper and where it stood are questions that will perhaps never be positively determined; no known written record exists bearing on those facts. It is known, however, that the first well dug in the place is the one on the turnpike opposite the resi- dence of William L. Barstler; it is also known that it was dug by Amich Snyder, who in company with two neighbors had built their log huts in that vi- cinity. They had no permanent water supply, how- ever, and to remedy this deficiency agreed to dig a well; lots were drawn to decide upon which one of them the task should fall; the fates pointed out Sny- der as the one appointed to do the work, and he did it. It is reasonable to suppose the site for the well was not far removed from their dwellings, and as it is a well-authenticated fact that a house formerly stood on the spot now occupied by Mr. Barstler's
dwelling,-itself a very old building,-we cannot go far astray in marking that as the spot whereon stood one of the first three houses, built about the same time, in the present town of New Holland. The second well in this place was dug by a Mr. Brant at the lower end of the town. Before these wells were dug the few settlers living in the town were obliged to do their washing, butchering, etc., at the spring now owned by Mrs. Buch at the eastern end of the town, and bring their daily supply of water for do- mestic purposes from thence.
THE NEW HOLLAND SCHOOL-HOUSE .- In the school-history of townships there is nothing more landable than the enlightened and praiseworthy movement organized in New Holland in 1786 to permanently establish an English and German free school. Fortunately, the record-book is still in ex- istence, and is circumstantially minute concerning the early beginnings of the enterprise. It is in itself a history, and as all the other schools were doubtless built by the same means and in the same way, a brief account will not be uninteresting. The movement originated with the Rev. Mr. Melsheimer and a few more publie-spirited citizens. Two subscription-papers were prepared, one in German and the other in Eng- lish, and circulated. The names on those papers show that there were about one hundred and thirty-three original subscribers, besides others who afterwards contributed. There is hardly a name known among us here this day that is not found on that roll of honor. The money raised by direct subscriptions amounted to $109 108. 9d. But this is not all : there are other lists, where such as were unable to contrib- ute money gave either building materials or else their personal services. Lime, logs, sand, stones, laths, boards, and rafters were among the cartieles given. The names of men who at sundry times worked at digging out the cellar are gratefully recorded, and we are told that, as the citizens gave these volunteer workmen their board, "the cellar was completed without little or no charge."
After the building was erected certain carpenters gave one or more days' work gratis to make desks and benches, "Messrs. Steeman, Albright, and Lann, of the borough of Lancaster, were so kind and oblig- ing as to print, free of charge, about eighty hymns, to be distributed among the people, and to be sung by the school youth in vocal musical order." Sixteen enlightened rules were prepared for its government. This school-house was formally dedicated on the 26th of December, 1787. On the morning of that day " the scholars, singers, ministers, trustees, elders, and church wardens of the Lutheran and German Re- formed Churches, and the members of those churches, and a number of persons-English and German-of other religions societies assembled at the parsonage," and from thence marched in an orderly procession to the school building. There was vocal music, an ap- propriate prayer, a suitable oration, and theu "an
I The name Eurltown was applied fitdifferently to the township as well 'as to the town. The assessors' lists almost invariably uso that word in- atend of " Earl township." Uagd in reference to the town, it seems a very appropriate nume, and far more fitting than the one it now bears. It Is a matter for regret that it was not ielninod.
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EARL TOWNSHIP.
elegant, argumentative, and eloquent discourse was preached." Upwards of seven hundred persons were present. A debt remained when the building was done, and again did these true men put their shoul- ders to the wheel to make it up. Thus was this log school-house, thirty-five by forty feet and two stories high, built. Around that country college, with its single professor, how many pleasant memories chtis- ter !' Another public-spirited movement, and one of a more recent date, may be noticed in this connec- tion. It is the large clock which the enlightened lib- erality of the people has placed in the tower of the recently-built school-house in New Holland.
Early Church Organizations .- At this distant day, and in the absence of authentic historical rec- ords, it is difficult to determine where and when the earliest church congregation was organized, or the | served for a few months only ) ; Rev. John C. Barnitz, first house for public worship built within these 1843-48; Rev. John Kohler, 1850-64; Rev. John W. Hassler, 1864 to the present time. townships. It is unlikely that the colony planted in West Earl by Hans Graaf should have been long without some regular church organization. The , same may be said of the settlement in Weaverland, in East Earl. The well-known character of these people and all their traditions forbid such a suppo- sition. Still, we have no record to bear out this opinion, and in the absence of such we can only say if not the first, then among the first was the Lutheran congregation in New Holland. The register of this church goes back as far as May 1, 1730, which, it will be remembered, was only two years after this town was founded. John Balthasar Wundrich, son of Mat- thias Wundrich and his wife, is the first baptismal eutry in this record, and bears date of 1730. Varions concurring circumstances go to prove that the entry was made by the Rev. John Casper Stoever, who served this congregation and one at Muddy Creek until the close of the year 1746. The number of communicants at the first recorded communion ser-
1 The introduction of the free school system lu 1838 in a measure su- pereeded the necessity for this school, which, with a few interruptions, bad been kept up until then. For u tinte thereafter the school ditec- tors of the district used the building as a public school-honse. By an act of the Legislature, passed in 1-37, the building and ground on which it stood were directed to be sold, and one-half of the proceeds of saul sule were to go to the Lutheran Church, and the other half, together with three fourths of the funds in the bands of the trustees, was to be placed on interest until the suns should reach one thousand dollars, after which true the income theteuf, or as much of it as the majority of the trustees might think proper, should from tinte to time be applied to the support of one or more public schools in the village of New Holland, to be open and in operation during such periods of every year as the coin- mon schools shall not be in operation, and under such rules as a ma- jority of the trustees might order and direct.
Viler this act the proprity wus sold on Ang. 1, 1857, for $1060. The half of this sum, added to the thice-fons the in the hands of the trustees, amounted to $777.39, which was placed ut interest up to 1876. At the beginning of that year :1876), the principal and interest having amounted to the sum of $2100, it was decaled by the trustees to use the income thereof in opening a school and employing two teachers for n period of two months, when the common schools were closed. To this school only children between the ages of wix and twelve years were to be admitted. This was done, and the results of the good work wrought nearly one hundred years ago by our lorelathers are thus still making themselves manifest among their grateful posterity.
viee, held in 1748, was seventy. At times the church had a stationed pastor, and at others was supplied from abroad. The pastors from that time to the present were the Rev. Tobias Wagner, 1749-55; Rev. Mr. Stoever, 1755-58; Rev. Samuel Schwerdfeger, 1758-63; Rev. W. Kurtz, 1763-81; Rev. Daniel Schroeder, 1781-84; Rev. Valentine F. Melsheimer, 1786-90; Rev. IIenry Moeller, 1790-95; Rev. John Plitt, 1798-1814; Rev. Peter Filbert, 1814-23; Rev. John F. Engel was chosen pastor to succeed the Rev. Mr. Filbert, and served a short time, and died Au- gust 29th of the same year; Rev. Charles Reutze, 1823-25; Rev. John W. Richards, 1825-34 (at this time there were under his charge the congregations of Bergstrass, Muddy Creek, and Allegheny); Rev. C. F. Welden, 1834-38; Rev. W. F. Lehman, 1842 (he
On May 18, 1744, John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, the then proprietors of Pennsylvania, con- veyed to George Swope, Wendle Swecker, John Bur- ger, Nathaniel Lightner, and Michael Rein, by letters patent, four acres of land for the use of the congrega- tion, and upon which the old parsonage was after- wards built, and which, with various additions, still stands on the northern side of the town. The earliest church building was of logs, and no date of its erec- tion has been preserved. The corner-stone of the old stone church was laid in April, 1763, the Revs. John S. Gerock, of Lancaster, John N. Kurtz, of Tulpchocken, and the pastor officiating. After this church was built a considerable debt remained un- paid. To extinguish this and also to build a school- house the congregation was authorized by an act of the General Assembly, passed on May 20, 1767, to raise the sum of £499 19s. by means of a lottery. This fact is one of much interest, inasmuch as it proves the importance attached by the early German settlers to the cause of education.
During the ministry of the Rev. John Plitt the church edifice was remodeled, and consecrated Nov. 7, 1802. In March, 1850, arrangements were made for erecting a new church edifice. The corner-stone was laid August 31st in that year, and the building completed in the spring of 1851, and dedicated on the 27th of April in that year, since which time several improvements have been made.
Reformed Church .- The next oldest church or- ganization of which the records have been preserved is the German Reformed congregation of New Hol- land, but which, at the period of its formation in 1846, was known as " Zeltenreich's Kirche," a name still borne by the church that now stands on the spot where this congregation first worshiped. That the people of this denomination at Earltown were oeea- sionally visited by itinerant preachers prior to this date is more than probable, but the written record dates from 1746. The first baptisms recorded are
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814
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
those of children named Stone, Besore, Becher, Dif- fenderfer, Seltenreich, Miller, Davis, and others. The first settled pastor was the Rev. J. B. Reigart, in 1748. The Rev. John Waldschmidt,1 great-grand- father of the Rev. J. W. Hassler, the present worthy pastor of the Lutheran Church of New Holland, be- came pastor in 1753. He remained only two years, and for a time thereafter the congregation was served by supplies from Lancaster and elsewhere. There was also lay preaching and other religions service- conducted by Leonard Stone, who introduced the practice of calling the people together when there was no preacher. In 1760, George Zeltenreich sold for a nominal sum a lot of ground to the officers of the church, giving them a deed for the same, in which it was conveyed to them and their successors in trust forever. Rev. Mr. Berger was pastor from ' 1761 until 1766; Mr. John Wittner from 1766 to 1769. The Revs. Weimer and Walschmidt followed him. In 1771 the Rev. John Gobrecht entered upon the pastorate, and held it nine years.
The church was supplied occasionally until in 1786, when a Rev. Mr. Hantz became their pastor and served until 1783. Rev. John Christian Wilhelms as- sumed charge in 1789, and served until 1802; Rev. Charles Helfenstein served from 1802 to 1804; Rev. John Theobald Faber, Jr., from 1804 to 1816; Rev. Daniel Hertz, from 1821 to 1814; Rev. P. D. Schory, from 1844 to 1848; Rev. Daniel Hertz, from 1849 to 1852; Rev. Alfred Helfenstein, Jr., from 1852 to 1858; Rev. F. Augustus Gast, from 1859 to 1865; Rev. Dr. D. W. Gerhard, from 1867 to the present time.
The old meeting- house known as Zeltenreich Church, in which the congregation had so long wor- shiped, was in a very dilapidated condition in 1799, and it was therefore resolved to build a new church in a more central locality ; this was finally done on a lot, donated by Matthias Shirk, in the village of New Holland. During the years 1799 and 1800 the large brick building at present used was erected at a cost of 85827.38. This church was authorized to raise funds by means of a lottery, as on Dee. 1, 1800, it was " enacted by the Senate and House of Represen- tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, that Frederick Seegar, Adam Miller, Jr., George Ecard, Jr., Jacob Colfrode, Jacob Rengwalt, Philip Diffenderffer, and Henry Ream be, and they are, hereby appointed commissioners to raise by way of lottery a sum not exceeding four thou- sand dollars, with a discount of twenty per cent., to be applied by them to defray the expense of com- pleting a church, lately built by the German Calvinist
Congregation, in the village of New Holland." The building then erected has been in use ever since. In 1832 the interior was remodeled at a cost of nineteen hundred dollars.
The Methodist Church was established about 1840, when a few persons of that denomination united in building a small brick church on the main street, where service was held about ten years, when the in- terest declined, and the property was sold and eventu- ally came into possession of the school board, by whom it is still used. Meetings were then held by the little handful for many years in school-houses and until 1870, when the present edifice was erected. The present pastor is the Rev. J. H. Hlich.
The United Brethren organized at this place and built the present church edifice in the year 1860. The present pastor is the Rev. Mr. Hughes.
The New Holland post-office was established before 1800. In the year 1816 Samuel Hall was postmaster. His successors were Henry Roland, Roland Diller, Hamilton Ayres, Peter Ream, and George W. Smith, the present incumbent.
Newspapers .- In 1828, the time of the Anti-Ma- sonic excitement, the Anti- Masonic Herald was started by Theophilus Fenn, Dr. Thomas W. Vesey, Isaac Ellmaker, Roland Diller, Nathaniel Ellmaker, and William Kinzer. The two former were editors. The first number was issued in June, 1828, and in April, 1829, it was removed to Lancaster, where it was con- ducted by Fenn & Fenton. After several changes it was, about 1835, merged in the Examiner.
The New Holland Clarion was established Jan. 18, 1873, by George II. Ranck and J. W. Sandoe, which is now continued by George II. Ranck. It is "inde- pendent on all subjects."
An extension of the East Brandywine and Waynes- burg Railroad runs through the township and has its western terminus at New Holland.
Vogansville .- The thriving village of Vogansville is pleasantly located near the northwestern border of Earl township. Its situation is on slightly elevated ground, affording pleasing views of the surrounding country. The founder of the village was John Vogan, who erected the first house on the site of the present town in 1839 and gave it his name. His father was James Vogan, and his grandfather Wil- liam Vogan, who migrated to this country in the latter half of the last century from County Caven, Ireland. The wife of the latter was Margaret Riley, daughter of John Riley, also an Irish emigrant.
James and John Vogan, the sons of the above- named William, both took an active part in the struggle for Independence. Both were present at the Paoli. massacre ; the former held a commission, but of what grade i's not known. His sword and the box in which his regimentals were kept are faithfully preserved, and may still be seen in the possession of his son, Isaac Vogan, the oldest survivor of the direct descendants of the family.
1 Rov, Johannes Waldschmidt was one of the six young German Re- formed ministers brought to this country by Rev. Michael Schlatter on his return from Europe, July 24, 1752. One of Ins frist charges was this one nt Zeltenreich's. He died Sept. 14, 1786, aged a little more than sixty-two years, and was'butied at what was theo called Cocalice, how the "Swamp," Lancaster Co.
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815
EARL TOWNSHIP.
While James and his brother John were fighting the battles of their country the homestead farm was left in charge of the former's wife, Margaret, who, with the aid of a negro boy, cultivated so much of it as sufficed for their support. The ground whereon the village is built was part of the old farm.
The population is about one hundred and thirty- four. The houses are for the most part well built, with attractive yards and gardens attached. There is a Union Church and also another building, used for public worship by the Evangelical Association. There is one store for the sale of general merchan- dise, one hotel, a coach manufactory, two boot- and shoe-shops, a blacksmithing establishment, and a large flour-barrel manufactory. Lime burning is an industry largely carried on in the immediate vicinity of the town ; five large kilus are almost in constant operation, and turn out many thousands of bushels of lime annually, most of which is used as a fertilizer by the farmers of the surrounding country.
On the 29th of April, 1848, a public meeting was held in Vogansville for the purpose of taking into consideration the necessity of building a meeting- house in the village. It was resolved, " That a meet- ing-house shall be built in said village, to be termed the ' Vogansville Union Meeting-House,' which shall and may be used by all denominations for the preach- ing of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who believe in the future punishment of sin and in Jesus Christ as a Redeemer."
In accordance with this resolution a church was erected during the summer. Religions worship had previously been held in the village school-house, and abont the time of the completion of the church the Rev. D. Hertz organized a congregation of the Re- formed Church at this place, and-continned as their pastor for twenty years, holding service in the Union Church, From that time (1869) Rev. D. W. Gerhard acted as a Supply till 1876, when he became their pastor, and is at present. The Lutherans and the Donkers also hold occasional service in the house.
The Church of the Evangelical Association was built about 1873, and has at present about thirty-five members.
A post-office was established in 1845. C. S. Hoff- man was appointed postmaster, and served till 1854. Ile was succeeded by Il. S. Hoffman, who served till , 1869. Martin Jacoby was then appointed, and served till 1858. J. G. Eshleman succeeded him, and is the present postmaster, but not acting, the office at pres- ent being conducted by deputy.
Hinkletown .- This village takes its name from George Hinckle, who, in 1767, was licensed to keep a tavern at this place. He raised a family of four sons, and at his death left no inconsiderable amount of worldly goods to be shared by his heirs. llis wife, Ann, kept the tavern many years after his death.
The town lies along what was once called the " Pax- ton road," a name so nearly erased from the memories
of men that of all from whom information was sought only Roland Diller, Esq., of New Holland, and Adam Bare, Esq., of Bareville, were able to indicate its lo- cality. . A reference to some old deeds corroborated their evidence. This highway is now known as_the Harrisburg and Downingtown turnpike.
The Conestoga River crosses the site of the town, and is spanned by a covered wooden bridge. The place contains two hotels (one lately elosed known as Swinkey's), two stores, two blacksmith-shops, two : saddle- and harness-makers, one coachmaker, one carpenter, one stone-mason, one tailor, one dentist, two physicians, a watchmaker, one school-house, one Union Church, and one resident clergyman. There is also a grist- and saw-mill.
That part of the village lying east of the Conestoga bridge was formerly known as Swopestown; this name was not derived from that of an individual, but from a number of Suabians who located there, the principal one of whom was Johan Barnhard Frank, and who also erected the first house. In the German language Snabians are called Swopes, hence the name Swopestown, or town of the Suabians. The first hotel in this part of the town was kept by a widow named Elizabeth Rhine, who died in 1807; she had been the presiding genius of this hostelry for many years, and was the contemporary of Barbara Hinckle, the relict of the ancient landlord at the western end of the town.
The village has a population of about two hundred.
The Union Church at Hinkletown was built about 1851, through the influence of Dr. Isaac Winters, Sr., and the Rev. John Stamm. For a time service was held in it by the Lutberan and German Reformed denominations, but the interest declined, and at pres- ent the denomination of United Brethren are using it as their place of worship.
A post-office was established at this place before 1840. At that time John Wickel was postmaster. The present incumbent is R. Reidenbach.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
DILLER LUTHIER.
Sept. 16, 1751, Christian Luther, a young German emigrant, landed in America from the ship " Edin- burgh." lle tarried briefly near New York, but the disciples of the great reformer (from whom Christian claimed direct descent) not being in favor in that region he migrated to the peaceful province of Penn. He chose Pequea for his home, but for some reason he remained but a short time before making a second change,-this time to the Shenandoah Valley, in Vir- ginia, near Woodstock. There he married Christiana Kelp. Indian troubles compelled him to retire from Virginia, and returning to Pennsylvania settled at Ephrata. There he died. Ilis son John, born at
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
Ephrata in 1755, became a prominent physician, and ; first field of practice was New Holland, but a brief died at Harrisburg in 1811. He left Catharine, John, Cornelius, and Martin. Of these, John grew to be a physician of note in Lancaster County, practiced for many years at New Holland, and died there in 1828.
sojourn there convinced him that the fieldl was too narrow for two physicians (his brother John W. being already established there), and so he removed to Or- wigsburg, in Schuylkill County. In that place he His sons were Diller, John W., Martin, and Peter, of , remained, however, but a year before passing on to whom Diller, John W., and Martin pursued medical careers, in emulation of their father and their grand- father before them. John W. rose to a high place in his profession, and for nearly forty years practiced continuously at New Holland, where he died in 1870.
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