USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 65
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126
Strasburg township. What was formerly known as the Dry Wells road leads southeasterly from Quar- ryville to Colerain township. This road has long been an important one for the transportation of linie from the kilns at Quarryville to the regions south and east from that place. In latter years it has acquired additional importance, as have all other roads leading to Quarryville, because of that place
being the terminus of the Laneaster and Quarryville Railroad.
Industries .- The principal business of the people is agriculture. All the cereals and most of the fruits grown in this latitude are produced here, and, as in other portions' of the county, the cultivation of to- bacco is an important industry. No important man- ufacturing industry exists in the township except that of lime, which is extensively prosecuted at Quarryville.
The mineral resources of the township consist of extensive beds of iron ore, which are known to exist in different localities. Of these one known as the Conowingo mine, near the northern border of the township, was worked in the first decade of the pres- ent century. The ore taken from this mine was smelted at Conowingo Furnace. After this furnace was abandoned the mine became the property of Cabine & Co., of Philadelphia, who worked it during several years, and sold the ore at Lancaster, to which place it was taken in wagons. On the death of Ca- been it passed into the possession of the Coleman es- tate, since which it has not been worked. It is be- lieved by many to be a rich mine. Just before the death of Mr. Cabine a branch railroad was built to this mine from a point on the Lancaster and Quarry- ville Railroad, two miles above Quarryville.
About one-fourth of a mile east from the Conowingo mine another was opened as early as 1838 by A. & J. Withers, and the ore taken therefrom was smelted at the Mount Eden Furnace, which they carried on. After the abandonment of that furnace the mine was not worked during a long time, but about ten years since it was leased by the Montgomery Iron Com- pany, and by them operated a short time. About the commencement of the year 1882 it was purchased by Shultz & less, and by them it has been successfully worked since. The ore is taken in wagons to the Lancaster and Quarryville Railroad, a distance of two miles. This is a productive mine.
On what was known as the Kunkel property, near the State road, two miles east from Quarryville, the Messrs. Withers obtained ore as early as 1810. This ore was not considered of a good quality, and the bed was not long worked. A mine was some ten years since opened on the Livingston property, adjoining this, by Myers & Iliklebrand, and the ore is shipped from Quarryville Station. The ore produced from
Mount Eden Furnace was originally built by John Withers, Sr. In the spring of 1837 it was repaired, and in that year it was put in blast by Augustus and John, Jr., the sons of John Withers. The enterprise was not highly successful because of the difficulty of supplying the furnace with a sufficient quantity of ore, and in 1843 operations were discontinued. The original John Withers, with his brother George and others, built Bush Furnace, in Harford County, MIJ., as well as the Conowingo and Mount Eden Works.
I Acknowledgments to George W. Hensel.
826
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
The different members of the Withers family have been highly intelligent and useful citizens.
. Mills.1-Shultz's mill, at Camargo, was erected in 1825 by Benjamin Breneman, and was conducted by him about fifteen years. It then became the property of his brother, Henry Breneman, who rented it to dif- ferent parties during eighteen years, when it was pur- chased by the present proprietor, Christian H. Shultz. It is a brick mill, with four runs of stones. Mr. Shultz put an engine of twelve horse-power in the mill to meet exigencies of drouth. It is both a merchant and custom mill. A saw-mill was built at about the time the grist-mill was erected, and this is still run- ning.
Millville mill, in the southern part of Eden town- ship, on West Branch, was built by Christian II. Shultz in 1870, and he has conducted it since to the present time. It is a framed building, and has three runs of stones. It is both a custom and a merchant mill. A saw-mill was in existence at the site of this mill when Mr. Shultz purchased the property, but the date of its erection cannot be easily learned. It is said that William Downing erected a grist-mill on this site in 1754, and that large quantities of grain were stored here during the Revolution for the Amer- ican army while at Valley Forge.
The Bassler mill, on a branch of the Big Beaver Creek, in Eden township, was built by John Bassler about 1825, and was by him owned and operated till his death in 1855. It then became the property of his son, Christian B. Bassler, who conducted it two years, then reuted it to different parties till 1882, when it was sold to Henry Il. Lefevre, who soon sold it to the present proprietor, B. F. Florey. The building is partly of stone and partly a framed structure, and it has two runs of stones. It is a custom mill.
Hotels .- A tavern was kept on the south side of the road near Camargo early in the present century. The keepers of this house that are remembered were James McCall, Samuel Overly, and Joseph MeElru. It ceased to be kept as a public-house about the year 1859.
At Hawksville, as elsewhere stated, an inn was kept by Jacob Hawks during many years. It ceased to be an inn about 1861. Two sons and two daughters of Mr. Ilawks still reside in the house.
It was a common saying when one was seen with a large brick in his hat, "He has been at the Dry Wells." The building was burned in the autumn of 1844, and no public-house has since been kept there.
Mount Ed'en Lutheran Church."-This is located about fourteen miles southeast from Lancaster City. The building, which was erected in 1878, was the re- sult of services held in Bowery school-house by Rev. J. V. Eckert during about one year, at intervals of a few weeks. The people began to feel the need of a church, and in the month of March, 1878, a meeting was held to consider the matter, and it was decided to build a Lutheran Church, in which other evan- gelical denominations should have the privilege of holding services. Rev. J. V. Eckert, B. B. Myers, Jacob Eckman, Joseph Wimer, and Samuel A. Keen were appointed the building committee, and in the following May the corner-stone was laid. The house was completed in October of the same year, but in con- sequence of injury to it by a severe storm it was not dedicated till May, 1879. It was the first church erected in the township of Eden. It is a brick structure, thirty-five by forty-three feet in size, and a cemetery is connected with it. Its cost was about two thousand two hundred dollars, and the money was raised among the people in the surrounding region. The ground on which it stands was donated by Levi Rhoads.
After the building was dedicated the congregation was organized by the election of James Cresswell and Joseph Wimer, elders; David Haverstick, Jr., and George Gall, deacons; and B. B. Myers, Jacob Eck- man, and Samuel A. Keen, trustees,
Rev. J. V. Eckert, through whose efforts the people were led to the work of building the church, has been the pastor from the first. The .original mem- bers of the church were James Cresswell, Elizabeth Cresswell, Joseph Wimer, Elizabeth Wimer, David Haverstick, Sr., Elizabeth Haverstick, Abraham Myers, Ann Herr, John Carnathan, and Venia Carnathan. The present number of members is thirty.
The location and surroundings of the church are tasteful and complete. Trees are planted about the house, the grounds are inclosed, facilities for fasten- ing horses are provided, and when the gates are closed all is protected. There is no other church within a circle of three miles, and Mount Eden Church has thus an ample field in which to labor for the up- building of the Master's cause.
The "Dry Wells" was a somewhat noted place in former times. It was on the top of a ridge one and a half miles east from Quarryville, and it acquired its name from the fact that several wells were sunk there before water was found. It was first kept as a Schools .- There are in Eden five sub-school dis- tricts, with six school-houses, Quarryville having two. The other districts are known as the Penn District, two miles east from Quarryville; Bowery, in the northeastern part of the township; Springville, in the northwestern; and Hawksville, in the western public-house by Patrick Ferry, and afterwards by Samuel Sharp, who had married the widow of Ferry after his death. It was a place where the "boys" often met to enjoy the conviviality that was pre- valent there, and many tales were told of the amusing scenes that occurred at the house and in its vicinity. "part. All these districts have large and commodious
" By Rev. J. V. Eckert, pastor.
1 Data fornished by Christian H. Shultz.
.
ʻ
1
827
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
school-houses, those at Hawkesville and Springville of brick, and excellent schools are maintained during six months of each year. The school law was ac- cepted by this township soon after its passage.
Quarryville .- The village of Quarryville is the most important and populous town in the county south of Strasburg. Situated mostly in Eden town- ship, but partly in Dromore, and bordering on Provi- dence, it marks the limit of the limestone lands south- ward in the county even more distinctly than the point at which, in the earlier settlement of the county, the German met the Scotch-Irish and Qua- ker elements of its citizenship. It is in the bowl- shaped valley in which this village lies, between "Stony Hill," a western spur of the Mine Ridge, and a lower chestnut-covered ridge south of Quarryville, that the limestone is cut off. This valley forms the head of the Chester Valley, which runs hence to the Schuylkill, furnishing the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Noble's to below Downingtown. The limestone is found on the north side of the valley its entire length, but south of Quarryville there is none. It properly marks the division between the upper and lower ends of the county. The slate and barren lands below this, some of which were " old fields," uneul- tivated, and not fenced in within the memory of this generation, had no attraction for the thrifty German farmers. Very different, and it might be said, very indifferent, modes of farming prevailed among the i up to the fall of 1833. settlers of the lower end previous to the development of the limestone-quarries at this place, which was as early as 1820. About that time the limestone began to be quarried and burned into lime and applied as a fertilizer to the worn-out fields of this region. Mar- tin Barr was among the first persons engaged in the
burning lime on a larger scale, and undertook the de- livery of it among the farmers, the demand increasing every year. When, in 1839, " he began to use coal in his lime-burning operations, and the supply of wood became less abundant, the consumers gradually aban- doned the practice of hauling the stone to their farms, the business of lime-burning and the ownership of quarry lots concentrated in the hands of fewer opera- tives, who not only largely engaged in lime-burning, but kept teams for its delivery into the lower town- ship of Lancaster County, and adjacent parts of York and Chester, and Cecil and Harford Counties, Md., in many cases the transportation being more expensive than the lime itself, though the advantageous results are manifest in the enrichment and renovation of the lands throughout the whole section upon which it was applied. There is not a farm in the entire lower end which does not show the results of Quarryville lime in three and fourfold improvement. During all these years lime-burning continued the chief industry, the operations of quarrying and burning the stone and de- livering the product giving employment to labor in and around the village, interesting capital, and at- tracting to this point a considerable miscellaneous trade. For nearly fifty years Daniel Lefever remained one of the leading citizens of the village, was widely known, and died universally respected.
There was no business nor tradesmen at Quarryville
In the earlier part of that year Jeremiah B. and Lewis Haines had purchased from the Barrs a tract of twelve acres of ground, on which, during the summer, they erected a frame store and dwelling- house (now the " Railroad" Hotel). Previous to this, and since 1830, Messrs. Haines and Slater Brown had business, and he gave to the place the name of " Barr's | been conducting the mercantile business in Darling- Quarries," laying out a traet of orchard land in lots of an eighth acre each, which he disposed of by sale or lease to the farmers of Drumore, Colerain, Little Britain, among them Joel Brown, Timothy Haines, Thomas and Samuel Patterson, Alexander Rumer, Robert Clark, James McPherson, the Ritchies, Rals- tons, and others. ton, Md., Lewis Ilaines giving it his personal super- vision, Upon the completion of the building at Barr's Quarries this business, carried on under the firm-name of Brown & Haines, was removed thither, and on Jan. 1, 1837, his partners withdrawing, Mr. Lewis Haines continued it alone. On April 17, 1837, George W. Hensel, then a lad of fourteen, who had At that time wood was abundant on their places, and they quarried the stone in the winter, hauled it home, and burned the lime on the farm. Nearly all of them had cabins on their quarry lots in which they lived and boarded themselves from week to week, and life at the quarries during this season was active and picturesque. At this time the Barr family was the most conspicuous in the neighborhood, though most of its members moved West, and the others are all deceased except Jacob B., whose descend- ants, and those of Martin, alone remain in this sec- tion. The great stone dwelling-house built near these quarries in 1791 was long the residence of (" Ark") Abram Barr, and remains to this. day a substantial structure, tenement for numerous families, and widely known as " The Ark." In 1832, Daniel Lefever began walked over to Barr's Quarries from his parents' home in Darlington, took his place behind the counter of Haines' store as boy of all work, and by steady gradation rose to be the proprietor of this business and the foremost citizen of the place, of which he has continued a resident ever since. Mr. Haines removed from Quarryville to his farm in Fulton township in March, 1842, but continued an interest in the mercantile business, to which he had admitted Mr. Hensel in partnership, Jan. 1, 1842. The firm of Haines & Hensel was continued until 1855, when the junior member purchased the entire interest of Mr. Haines in the business and buikling, having previously bought Jeremiah B. Haines' share of the realty. Subsequently Mr. Hensel admitted to partnership for a term of years his brother-in-law,
828
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
Henry L. Uhler, and at different times his son, L. T. Hensel, and son-in-law, G. J. P. Rant, finally dis- posing of his entire interest to the latter, and giving his attention to the direction of the hardware busi- ness established by him and another son, now de- ceased, of Charles C. Hensel & Co. Besides these mercantile interests, stores have been established and kept in the mean time by D. D. Hess, Benjamin Wit- mer, C. H. Geiger, - Shant, and others, though the houses founded by Messrs. Hensel alone have continued.
In 1837, Mr. Haines gave the name " Quarryville" to the place in his application for the establishment of a post-office, which was not, however, granted until 1849. Prior to that the nearest offices had with weekly mails.
Until 185] there was no church within three miles of Quarryville, and no Sabbath-school except one conducted for a half season in Mount Holly school- house, a mile distant. But on June 2, 1851, a few of the friends of religion, morality, and good order met at the house of George W. Hensel, and, aided by the energy and devotion of Rev. E. A. Hoffheins, then pastor of the German Reformed Church at New Providence, took steps for the organization of a con- gregation of this faith and the erection of a church edifice in the village. On August 16th of that year the corner-stone of St. Paul's was laid, and Feb. 29, 1852, it was dedicated, and the congregation, consist- ing of some thirty members, organized by the election
M. Sonder. More recently a neat Methodist Church, attached to the Fulton eircuit, has been erected in the eastern part of the village.
Increase of population has led also to the erection within late years of two school-houses for the aceom- modation of a graded public school; and the general growth of the village and of its business importance have been accompanied with the establishment of the local industries and trades that follow village im- provement, until the population of one thousand or more within the place, or a short radius from its cen- tre, are well supplied with shops and all the con- veniences.
Aforetime whiskey was freely used by the quarry- men and teamsters. It was sold in large quantities in the store, and extensive purchasers were liberally But the event which gave the greatest impetus to Quarryville was the construction of the railroad from Lancaster to that point some years ago and its con- nection with the Reading system (for a full history of which see Internal Improvements). Since the completion of this enterprise the village has rapidly increased in population and importance. It bas be- come the outlet for the trade of a large portion of the lower end, and the freight traffic and passenger busi- " treated." Up to 1848 there was no tavern in Quarry- ville,-as indeed there was neither post-office, black- smith-shop, nor other essential of a country village, except "the store." But when, in the fall of 1847, Haines & Ilensel built their stone store building (now occupied by C. C. Hendel & Co.), the old frame store was fitted up as a house of public entertainment, without a bar, by George Shaub, tailor. In J851, James C. Ewing and Jacob Neff, purchasers of the | ness from this point is very heavy. Within the past property, applied for a tavern license, which aroused a storm of opposition from the increasing temperance sentiment of the community, more especially among the residents of the lower end, who objected to the sale of liquor at the place where their teamsters and other employees were compelled to resort. In 1852 license was obtained, and has never been lost to this hotel, while two others have since been licensed.
year a bank, called the Quarryville National Bank, with a capital of sixty thousand dollars, has been or- ganized here, and a handsome building for its pur- poses has been erected preparatory to the beginning of business. George W. Hensel is president of the institution, and associated with him in the board of directors are Robert Montgomery, C. M. Hess, E. M. Stauffer, J. P. Ambler, Sanders MeSparran, John Martin, Thomas J. Ambler, and F. W. Helen.
Hamlets. - Hawksville derives its name from Jacob . Hawk, who kept an inn at that place during many years. Prior to the springing up of Quarryville it been New Providence and Spring Grove, supplied , was a place of some local importance, but the growth
of the latter place near it has blasted its prospects of becoming a city. It is one mile north from Quarry- ville, and it consists of only a few house ..
Camargo took its name from the post-office which was established there soon after the Mexican war, and which was so named, at the suggestion of H. H. Breneman, after a town in Mexico. It has a post- office, a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a store, a smithery, and a few dwellings.
Benjamin Breneman, the father of II. HI., was a man of much influence in the region, and was an active business man. From him the place was, at an carly day, known as Breneman's, and was a point of considerable importance.
The Keen family is one of the oldest and most nu- of Daniel Lefever, Peter Bush, Daniel Lumilheart, ; mierons in the township of Eden. John Henry came elders ; John Monrer, Jacob Amnent, Henry Penny- from Germany and settled near Mount Eden prior to the Revolution. His son Henry remained in the neighborhood, and built a distillery near the old homestead about 1800. ITe reared a family of seven parker, deacons; George W. Hensel, George Amnent, R. C. Edwards, trustees. Since then the congregation, with that at New Providence, has constituted one charge, and has been ministered to in order by Revs. . sons and four daughters, and all the sons married Hoffheins, William Goodrich, J. V. Eckert, Joseph and reared families in the vicinity, making an exten- Hannaberry, D. B. Shuey, and the present pastor, J. . sive family connection.
.
829
ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP.
Christian and Samuel, two of the sons, were farm- ers and distillers on the old place, and they remained partners till 1867. The members of the family, gen- erally, have maintained the character of honest, in- dustrious, substantial citizens.
The following is a list of the justices of the peace in the township of Eden since its organization :
Robert Evans, Henry Il. Breneman, 1855; J. ' is a limestone loam, gravel, and sandy red shale. Harding Gilbert, Hardy Lovett, 1860; Daniel D. Hess, 1861; Robert Evans, 1864; J. HI. Gilbert, 1865; Robert Evans, 1869; Tilghman L. Thompson, 1870; J. H. Gilbert, Tilghman L. Thompson, 1874; J. II. Gilbert, 1879; Tilghman L. Thompson, 1880.
Of the men and families that were residents of what is now Eden township early in the present cen- tury the following are remembered :
The Barrs, who were quite numerous and owned much real estate. But two families remain.
The Montgomery family, still represented by three brothers owning adjacent farms, which are in a high state of cultivation.
The Risk family was prominent, but it is not now represented here.
The Eekmans are not as numerous as formerly.
The Bushongs were well-known Friends, as were the Gilberts, both of whose families still have represent- atives here. Others were here at that period whose names cannot be recalled.
CHAPTER LIV. ELIZABETHI TOWNSHIP.1
ELIZABETH township was organized in 1757. Its original boundaries were : " Beginning at the land of Joseph Cratzer, bounding upon Heidelberg township, Lebanon Co; thence by the same to Cocalico town- ship; thence by Cocalico to Warwick ; thence by the same to the place of beginning."
The boundary between Warwick and Elizabeth was not accurately defined, and disputes arose among the inhabitants along this boundary as to which township had the right to tax them for the support of the poor and the maintenance of roads. In 1766 a meeting of the inhabitants of the two townships was held, at which it was determined to petition the court to settle this line, and to include a larger area in the township of Elizabeth. A commission was appointed to run this line, and it was so changed as to transfer fifty farms from Warwick to Elizabeth. In 1769 the inhabitants of the territory so tranferred became dissatisfied with the change and petitioned the court to restore the original line, which was done.
Elizabeth township was at first included in War- wick. Robert Old, one of the oldest iroumasters in
1 By Jacob II. Mace and E. B. Brubaker.
the country, and great-grandfather of IIon. G. D. Coleman, deceased, of Lebanon, is said to have named it in honor of Queen Elizabeth. The area of the township was formerly, when it included Clay, 25,521 acres. Since its division from Clay it has 9921 acres. Its population in 1880 was 1045.
The surface of the township is billy, and the soil
Hammer Creek, its principal stream, traverses the township in a southeasterly direction. It derived its name from the forge-hammers which were erected on it at an early day. It has a fall of about fifteen feet to a mile, and furnishes a splendid motor for the mills on its banks. Middle Creek forms the dividing line between Elizabeth and Clay townships.
The principal element in the population of the township is German, called Pennsylvania Dutch, an industrious, economical class. Next to agriculture, the manufacture of iron formed for many years the chief industry. Hopewell and Speedwell Forges and Elizabeth Furnace were located in this township, but they have not been in operation since 1857. The principal canses of their close were the dullness of the times and their distance from the railroad, neces- sitating the hauling on wagons over long distances of all the raw material and manufactured prodnets. They remain as witnesses to future generations of how industries may be changed by changing the 'means of transportation.
Farming and stock-raising are now the principal industries. The staple crops are wheat, corn, oats, and tobacco, and of these the soil produces well under a thorough and practical system of cultivation. The well-known Speedwell and Elizabeth stock-farms are located in this township. The former is noted for its fine blooded horses, and the latter for its Alderney and Jersey cattle. The Speedwell farms are owned by the heirs of R. W. Coleman, and the Elizabeth farms belong to the estate of G. D. Coleman.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.