USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 80
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James Gibbons bought from Elizabeth Whartnaby, of England, one thousand acres of land in 1723. James lived at Westtown town-hip, Chester Co., and never came to this county, but his son, Joseph Gib- bons, took this land from his father's estate, and with some more, surveyed from the London Company's land, had a patent issued to him in 1732. This land remained uncultivated until the marriage of James Gibbons, son of Joseph, and grandson of the original James, in 1756.
In that year James Gibbons and Deborah Hoopes Gibbons came to this county to live, and built a log cabin on the banks of Mill Creek, north of the present mill property of Amos Bushong. On Nov. 27, 1757, he laid the corner-tone of his house. He was an innkeeper before and during the Revolutionary war, was a surveyor and scrivener and justice of the peace, and was also an ardent patriot during the Revolu- tion. He was very desirous of taking part in that great conflict, having been tendered the colonelcy of a regiment, but the overseers of Friends' Meeting and his family di-spaded him from his purpose. His de- scendants still occupy part of this tract of land.
William Evans. Col. John Evans, of London, was appointed Governor of the province, and came over in 1716. Ile received a patent for one thousand acres of land, and on March 5, 1716, soll it to John Moore, Esq., of Philadelphia. By deed bearing date Sept. +, 1730, John Moore granted this tract to William Evans. Col. John Evans was a Calvinist, but Wil-
liam Evans, his relative, and the first settler of this in the possession of the Landis family at present, as land, was a Friend. At what time this family be- came Friends is not known, but the first William Evans was a quite prominent Friend, as were his funily for several generations. The Evans family occupied this property for many years. In 1845 the last male descendant of William Evans living on this tract, Anon S. Evans, ched, and his family sold the property and moved West.
Rebecca Evans, sister of Aaron S., owned part of this original tract at the time of her death in 1875. Upon this tract there are three stone houses in a per-
fect state of preservation at present. The oldest, the old William Evans house, stands upon a road lead- ing from the public school house at Smoketown to the old Philadelphia turnpike. The other two houses were built by the sons of William Evans, and both stand upon the turnpike.
The following settler- took lands in the London Company's tract, situated in the central, western, and southern parts of the township. This tract contained five thousand five hundred and fifty-three acres :
John Hendrickstone acquired a patent for one hun- dred and fifty acres immediately west of the Col. John Evans tract, but disposed of his land immediately to Benjamin Witmer, Jr., whose father, Benjamin Wit- mer, was the land agent in this tract for the London Company.
Andreas Soldenrich, or Andrews Seldomridge, as now spelled, received the land upon the old provin- cial road lying west of John Hendrickstone and east of the Landis traet, by patent dated March 14, 1722. This tract contained two hundred acres. Andreas Soldenrich hell this for twenty-five years, when he sold to Louis Boughwalter, Feb. 6, 1747. Andreas Soldenrich moved into Leacock, and is very possibly the ancestor of the present family of Seldomridge.
Dareas Boughwalter, widow of Louis, sold this land to Abraham Boughwalter, her son, Feb. 3, 1777. Whether any of this land belongs to the family of Buckwalter it is impossible to say, as the records of the Palatines are quite imperfect.
Jacob Lindi -. In Tavlor's surveys of the old patent tracts, Jacob Lindis is said to have taken out the patent for a tract, but in the records of the Lan- di- family, which are very voluminous, the original patentee wa- Benjamin Landis, a Swiss Mennonite preacher. He came to this country and received a patent for this land in 1718. He had but one son, Benjamin Landis, Jr., who had four sons, one of whom was named Benjamin, In every generation since there has been a Benjamin, and the name of Jacob is less common. From all the records extant there is sulli- vient proof that the name on the oll surveys was a mistake, and that Benjamin Landis received the patent from the London Company. A grandson of the original Benjamin moved into Landis Valley, in Manheim township, and is the common ancestor of the Landis family there. Part of this land remains Henry N. Landis, a descendant in the fifth genera- tion, occupies the old Landis homestead. The origi- nal tract contained two hundred and twelve acres.
Benjamin Witmer. The Witmer family seem to have been persons of distinction in early times, as the subject of this sketch was agent for the London Land Company. Benjamin Weitmer, as then spelt, received a patent for two hundred and sixty-live acres from the Loudon Company in 1722. This land was situated on both sides of the provincial road, and the Ilorse-Shoe road was laid out through it. In
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1746 it passed by will into the possession of his son, John Whitmore. As Benjamin Witmer was an alien, his son had his patent confirmed by the Hons. John and Riehard Penn, under the Governorship of James Ilamilton, in 1762. John Witmer died in 1790, and by will left this land to his sons, Henry and Abraham. There is a fine stone house, still used as a dwelling- house, on this property, built, as the tablet says, by H. W. & M. W. im jahr 1773. Henry Witmer moved to Laneaster, and sold his land to his brother Abraham, who also resided in Lancaster, by deed dated 15th day of April, 1806. Some historians assert that the Witmer family were Huguenots, but we find no evi- denee thereof in any of the old deeds or by the way they spell their name. The name with all its changes was written with the German character for almost half a century after their coming to this country.
Joseph Boughwalter, a Palatine, received a patent in 1723 for a tract of land lying on Mill Creek, south of the William Evans tract. A mill and a large log house were built on this land by Joseph Bough- walter and his son John. The mill, after having re- mained in the possession of the family for eighty years, was sold, but the old Buckwalter homestead property remains in the family. This old log house was torn down quite recently, but the large stone dwelling now standing was built about 1798 or 1800. The homestead is now occupied by George Buck- walter, a descendant. This old house was a hotel for many years, but now is used as a private dwell- ing. The name of this old hotel was " The Running l'ump."
Felix Landis was an old patentee under the London Company, having acquired four hundred acres of land by patent in 1723. He granted part of this property to John Binekle, as then written, who appears to have been a relative. John Binekley died intestate in 1757, leaving three sons, Felix, Henry, and Johnson Binckley. At the division of the property Felix Binekley took the water-right and land adjoining, and in 1767 built the mill. Felix died in this county. and as there are many graves of Binekleys at Mel- linger's graveyard, it is tair to suppose that he was buried there also, although no stone bearing his name can be found. After the death of Felix Binck- ley his immediate family moved to Dauphin County and bought a farm at the junction of the Swatara and Spring Run, where their descendants still reside. This property remained in a collateral branch of the ! family for some time after the movement of the family of Felix, the builder of the mill. There is a stone dwelling-house upon this mill property, supposed to have been built by Felix or John Binckley, but it has no authentie date, as all records have been lost. Of the descendants of Felix Landis there are no records, as the present large Landis family trace their descent from Benjamin Landis.
Martin Bare. The' carly survey of this land was made in the name of lanse Snider, but in 1723
Martin Bare and Elizabeth, his wife, received a patent for this traet. Whether they acquired the original survey by purchase or not is not recorded. In 1757, Martin Bare sold this tract to his son, Chris- tian Bare. Martin Mellinger married the daughter of Christian Bare, and acquired the property by will. Martin (born 1755, died 1844) seems to have been a man of great prominence in the Mennonite Church, as the meeting-house which was built upon land given by Christian Bare to the Mennonite congrega- tion is named from Martin Mellinger. He married a widow, Elizabeth Denlinger, and having lost his only son, Martin Mellinger, in 1801, left this prop- erty by will to his step-son, Abraham Denlinger, whose son resides on the property at present. Mar- tin Bare seems to have been a man of great foresight, and to have done everything which he undertook well. The old Bare homestead is used as a dwelling- house at present by Benjamin Denlinger, and is in a state of perfect preservation.
Jacob Graff. This traet was first surveyed for Peter Yorkee by order of the London Company. In 1722 Peter Yorkee sold all his rights to Jacob Graff, of New Strasburg. Whether Jacob Graff resided on this land is not known, but it is supposed he did not, as in the deed for this property which he gave to Theophilus Hartman in 1743 he was described as a resident of New Strasburg. This tract contained two hundred and twelve aeres, and at the death of Theophilus Hartman, his son, Christian Hartman, took part of the tract and resided upon it until his death in 1825. The residue was sold by the adminis- trators of Theophilus to Henry Yank, tanner, of Lan- caster, and Frederick Shindle in 1769.
Henry Yank sold his land to Frederick Shindel, who disposed of his lands by deett of sale to his brother, George Shindle, about 1775. George Shin- dle died in 1820, and left it by will to his daughter, Mrs. Metzger, who,left it by will to her son, the pres- ent owner, Michael S. Metzger.
After the death of Christian Hartman in 1825, his son-in-law, Jacob Rohrer, took one hundred acres at the settlement of the estate, and the residue was dis- posed of at public sale to persons out of the family. The son of Jacob Rohrer occupies this property at present.
On the property which belongs to M. S. Metzger there is a very old house, supposed to have been built by Theophilus Hartman, as when the Shindle family received the property they moved into it, and their descendants have had possession of it ever since.
The Graff traet was north of the provincial road, in the present village of Bridgeport.
With Jacob Grall' ends all the records we have concerning the early settlers. The Musgroves gave their name to a road which led from the present vil- lage of West Enterprise to the vicinity of the village of Eden.
The Downers kept their property, as far as can be
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
learned, for some time, but we could not find any an- | thentic records of them.
In writing of these early settlers we have called them Palatines, except in a few cases where they seem to have come directly from Switzerland. These Germans were all originally Swiss, but on account of religious troubles they had left their native land and taken refuge in the Palatinate. In all the old patents they are spoken of as Palatines. The Palatinate seems to have been the one spot dedicated to freedom of thought for many years. The Electors Palatine were noble and generous men, and for many years Protestants. The Elector Frederick, who befriended many Swiss, was son-in-law of George I. of England, and enjoyed the friendship and protection of the English people during the reigns of Anne and George I. After the death of Frederick the election fell into the hands of the Catholic princes of thermany, and the Protestants lost a good and faithful friend.
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Friends and Palatines during the Revolution- ary War .- Much has been said concerning the action of the Friends and Palatines with regard to the Rev- olutionary war. They have been stigmatized as Tories and secret emissaries of King George. The testimonies of Friends and Palatines with regard to the bearing of arms were identical, and in this my defense of these, my fellow-countrymen, I shall in- clude both religious societies. These people have always held the doctrine that the duties they owe to God are far superior to those they owe kings or rulers. They also keep this belief sacredly and apply it to all the duties of life, and, as the meck and lowly Jesus said, " If thine enemy smite thee upon the right cheek, turn unto him the left also," their most prominent testimony has been that one against bear- ing arms, and no consistent member of these religions bodies ever went to war. The Mennonites have always paid their war taxes, but many Friends have not considered it consistent to help support a war or to fight in one. Holding such principles as these it was impossible for these people to take part in the Revolutionary struggle. They were non-a-sociators, and took no part in the Revolution. We have not been able to ascertain whether any Palatines in this township became involved with the authorities on account of their anti-war spirit, but if any Mennon- ite minister had been arrested for treason merely on account of his conscientious seruples with regard to bearing arms, it would have been his religious duty to suffer the full penalty of the law. Of the Friends in this township, James Gibbons was quite a promi- nent Revolutionist, and on that account was not a very strict Friend ; Abraham Gibbons, the brother of James, was a prominent minister among Friends, and took no part in public affairs, and was opposed to pay- ing taxes to support the war. On account of these opinions, during the darkest hours of the war in 1777, Abraham Gibbons was arrested, taken to Ches- ter County, and kept prisoner for some time by the
Provincial authorities, After some months he was brought back to Lancaster County and released about ten miles south of his home, near Bird-in-Hand llotel.' At this late day it is almost impossible to judge of the great straits in which the patriots were placed. No doubt they thought that all who were not in full sympathy with the war were Tories and in secret league with Great Britain. Abraham Gib- bons loved not his country less but his God more, and on his death-bed his conscience approved his actions; what more can be asked? The Mennonites of the present day are not allowed to perform military duty, and one instance of this testimony was shown lately by the arrival at Philadelphia of a large number of Russian - German Mennonites, who had left their homes in Russia rather than serve in the armies and the hospitals of the Czar.
Thoroughfares .- There are only two roads in this township which were laid out through proprietary ediets, -- the old road which was laid out from the Delaware to the Susquehanna, and the Horse-Shoe road, which ran from a point on the old road on the tract of Benjamin Witmer northeasterly to Leacock.
The width of the old road when first surveyed was sixty feet, but the increase of population and the great rise in the price of land has caused this ancient thoroughfare to be encroached upon to such an ex- tent that in some places in this township it is not more than half its original width. The great turn- pike between Philadelphia and Lancaster, finished in 1798, passes through this township, and has ou it two toll-houses,-one at Witmer's Bridge, and the other at Greenland.
There are two short turnpikes in this township. The road running from Strasburg borough to Lan- caster has been macadamized from Strasburg to its junction with the old turnpike, about two miles from the toll-house at Bridgeport, and the old road has been macadamized from the point where the Horse- Shoe road joins it to Bridgeport, where the turnpike and old road join. So effectually have corporations succeeded in getting possession of all the thorough- fares leading to Lancaster, that unless people would ford the Conestoga at a point opposite Reonk's mill, in Lancaster township, no one can reach Lancaster without being heavily taxed.
The old road crosses Mill Creek on a good wooden, covered bridge, built by the county commissioners. The only defeet there is in the coustruction of this bridge is its width, it not being wide enough for two carriages to pass.
The old Philadelphia turnpike crosses Mill Creek at the village of Greenland on a fine stone bridge, built by the county commissioners, but after these two thoroughfares join they pass over the Conestoga Creek on one of the finest bridges in the State, This bridge is so old, and the circumstances concerning it of so much interest, that we subjoin a sketch of its history.
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EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP.
On the second day of September, 1787, the Legisla- ture of the State, under the Governorship of Thomas Mitllin, passed an act for establishing and building a bridge across Conestoga Creek in Lancaster County, on the great road leading from the city of Philadel- phia to the then borough of Lancaster, and by the first section of this act Abraham Witmer was author- ized to erect this bridge, and when it was erected, he and his heirs and assigns were authorized to demand and receive toll.
accommodations which the county had furnished the commonwealth for legislative purposes for some time past. The Legislature further enacted that as soon as the county should have paid unto John Joseph Henry the sum of sixteen hundred dollars, then the claim for $12,018.31 shall be relinquished to the com- missioners of Lancaster County, for the purpose of purchasing and making free the bridge built by Abra- ham Witmer over the Conestoga. On the 27th of March, 1812, the Legislature passed an act that com- The second section provides that the toll levied shall be as follows: "For every Coach, Landau, Chariot, Phaeton, Wagon, or other four Wheeled Carriage, the sum of one Shilling and sixpence; For every Chaise, riding Chair, Cart, or other two wheeled Carriage Nine Pence; For every Sled, one Shilling; For every single horse and rider, four Pence; Foot Passengers, two pence; and one penny for every head of horned Cattle, Sheep or Swine crossing the same." missioners should be appointed by the county to meet those appointed by Abraham Witmer, to decide for what sum A. Witmer would sell the bridge to the county, and if the sum decided upon was more than the said $12,018.34, the residue was to be made up by tolls collected by passage over the bridge, the county commissioners to exhibit annually to the Court of Quarter Sessions an account of the receipts and ex- penditures of the bridge. When the whole amount Section 3 provides that a passage twenty feet wide, in a direet and straight line, on the north side and at both ends of said bridge, be left free, open, and clear of every incumbrance or interruption whatsoever. A supplement to the above was passed by the Legisla- ture on the 4th of April, 1798, making it obligatory on Abraham Witmer to remove the old wooden bridge which had crossed the creek at this point prior to the building of the stone bridge, and leave a passage-way twenty feet wide at both sides of the bridge, so that all persons not wishing to pass over the new bridge could be free to pass and repass the creek without crossing the bridge. The bridge was finished in 1800, and the following advertisement was inserted by Abraham Witmer in the Journal, Nov. 8, 1800: agreed to by the commissioners should have been paid by said county, the bridge should be declared free. In 1818 the county had not yet bought the bridge, and Abraham Witmer, being the lawful owner, made his last will and testament, nominating his brother, David Witmer, his brother-in-law, Christian Herr, of Lampeter township, and John Nett, of Strasburg, to be executors of his will, and to have full power to sell the bridge to any commissioners the county might appoint for that purpose. Abraham Witmer died in 1818, and Christian Herr and John Nell' refu-ing to be executors, David alone remained executor, and took entire charge of his brother's estate. It was soon found that if the bridge was to be paid for by the tolls collected on it, it might never be declared free, so a number of public-spirited men undertook " CONESTOGA BRIDGE. to raise the amount by public subscription. Finally, " It is with great pleasure that Abraham Witmer informs the Public That his new Bridge will be completed on Thursday next. in 1827, the full amount had been collected, and David Witmer, for the sum of twenty-six thousand "On which day at 1 o'clock the Inscription Stone will be fixed in the centre of the North Fall of said Bridge." dollars, relinquished unto Abraham Gibbons, Samuel Keller, and Emanuel Reigart, commissioners of the The friends of Witmer and all others interested met at his hotel at Bridgeport and had a good time county, all rights and privileges of the bridge forever. When the bridge was declared free, a large and en- generally. At this time it became the diversion of ' thusiastic meeting of the citizens of the county was the young people to cross over the bridge at full pace held on the grounds adjoining it, and the late Henry Maxwell, proprietor of the Lancaster Journal, ad- dressed the meeting. and not paying toll. There is a story still told among the people of Lampeter that the young Quakers would go to Lancaster, and after having a good time return, In the centre of the bridge was placed the stone with this inscription : going over the bridge at full gallop, and when the bridge-keeper would try to stop them, they would say, "I don't think thee can do it, my friend." The consequence would be that the fathers of the young men would go up next day and pay the toll.
" Erected by Abrabnm Witmer, 1709-1800 A Law of un Enlightened Commonwealth passed Apr. 4, 170%, sanctioned Thomas Mellan, Governor, this Monument of the Public Spuit of an Individual."
On the 2d day of April, 1811, the Legislature passed an act decreeing that as there was due to the com- monwealth of Pennsylvania from the estate of Wil- liam Henry, deceased, formerly treasurer of Lancas- ter County, $12,018.34, being part of taxes due the The great foresight of Abraham Witmer is shown by commonwealth from the' county, the commonwealth ; the substantial manner in which the bridge was built, relinquished this claim to the county, on account of | and his public spirit and self denial by being willing
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
to expend so mneh time and money without hope of immediate reward. In these virtues Abraham Wit- mer has few imitators to-day. This bridge is still in use just as it was finished by the builder eighty-three years ago, and it seems likely to be standing as now for one hundred years to come.
Friends' Meeting- House at Bird-in-Hand .-- Friends were pre-eminently a pioneer people, and seem to have pushed into the Pequea and Mill Creek Valleys very early in the eighteenth century. The Indians always had great faith in the peace and good will principles of Friends, as promulgated by that great apostle of peace, William Penn, therefore Friends felt more secure than many other settlers ; but even they were rather cautious not to move too close to the frontier line. The meetings in and about Philadelphia, from which many of these Friends came, were very anxious about their spiritual welfare, as seen by the following copied from the minutes of Concord Quarterly Meeting :
" At Quarterly Meeting, 6th mo. 13, 1722. I being thought necessary by this meeting to visit those few Friends that are removed to Conestoga, in order to deal with and advice some who want assist- ance," etc. "In order thereto this meeting appoints Thomas Vernon, Aaron James, William Lewis, and Joseph Gilpin, and desires them to give an account of their visit to our next meeting." 9th mo. 12, 1722. According to the minutes, Friends' Meetings were held in Lampeter from this date on at private houses until 1732, when the following appears on the Quarterly Meeting records :
" New Garden Monthly Meeting requests to have a meeting settled at or near Hattil Varman's on every first and sixth days of the week, which this meeting allows of until further order."
ITattil Varman, whose name is mentioned in these records, was born in Ireland, and was a very impor- tant man there in both meeting and secular matters. ! Ile came to this country and settled in Leacock in 1728. It was upon his place that the first Friends' meeting-house was built in 1732. This house was built of logs, and remained there until 1749. Until 1737 this meeting, called Leacock Particular Meeting, and the meeting at Sadsbury belonged to New Garden Monthly Meeting in Chester County. At date 9th mo. 14, 1737, the following appears upon the records of Concord Quarterly Meeting :
"Sadsbury and Leacock Particular Meetings, with the consent and approbation of New Garden Monthly Meeting, request liberty of having a Monthly Meeting for discipline settled among themselves distinct from New Garden Monthly Meeting." " After considera- tion thereof this meeting does allow the Friend mem- bers of Sadsbury and Leacock Particular Meetings liberty of holding a Monthly Meeting for discipline on the first second day of the week in every month till further ordered, and that it be called by the name of Sadsbury Monthly Meeting."
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