USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 94
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seis, Jacob. Schenck, John.
Wright, James. Wagner, George.
Litzeberger, Adam. Lazarus, l'eter.
Shopf, Henry. Shertzer, Widow.
Winter bauer, George. Wissler, Christian, Witmer, John.
Hershey, Christian. Ilostetter, Jacob. Hostetter, Benjamin.
Loghin, John Lighty, Henry Smith. Manning, John.
Witmer, Jacuh. Witmer, l'eter. Wissler, Rudolph. Wertz, Widow.
Zimmerman, Michael. Zigler, Frederick.
Hostetter, Julitı. Hopp, Frans. Har, John ( David Har's son). Harr, Rudolph (oil-miller, 1 mill). Hershey, Christian (old).
Bistand, Henry. Habecker, Josephı. HIabecker, Christian. Hull, Peter.
IFurr, Christian (old Abram's sou). Harr, Abram (old, 1 mill). Harr, John (old Abram s son). Hershey, Christian.
Hinekle, John.
Hair, Christian (saw - miller, 1 mill).
Miller, Jacob. Mentzer, Michael.
Newcomet, John
Hausman, Paul. Ilurr, Abram. Halbrun, Wulow. Iloffutan, Frederick. Immel, Jacob. Jacks, James, Esq. Krebiel, Jacob. Kunningham, Hugh.
Kaufman, Christian (Hornber- ger's brother-in-law ). Keller, John (miller, 1 mill). Korreli, John. Kriniwalt, Abram. Kauffman, John. Kauftman, Jacob (old). Krebill, Peter. Kaufman, Christian (old). Kaufman, Andrew (Christian's
Dr. John Connolly occupied a very conspicuous but unenviable position during the struggle of the American colonies to establish their independence. His is an historical character and deserves some no- tice at our hands. What induced him to become a Tory, whether from the tainted blood of his father, or early association, or direct bribery by Lord Dun- more, will never be known. Like Burr, he may have taken a desperate plunge to retrieve a fortune lost and attain great political power.
He was born in Manor township in the year 1744, upon the farm owned by James Patterson, the old Indian trader, and his wife Susanna, who owned the land as tenants in common. His mother was formerly Mrs. Patterson, a very remarkable woman. If she was the first wife of Mr. Patterson, they must have been married in Ireland as carly as 1708. When Mr. Patterson died in October, 1735, their children were Susanna (Lowry), Sarah (Chambers), James, Rebecca, and Thomas. In 1736 Mrs. Patterson mar- ried Thomas Ewing, a Presbyterian, and member of Donegal Church, as was also Mr. Patterson, by whom she had two sons, to wit: James Ewing, who was a captain in the French and Indian war, and a distin- quished general and statesman in the Revolutionary war, and John, who was also a captain in the war of independence.
Kindig, John. Klein, l'eter. Kuntz, Peter. Kindig, Daniel. Kaufman, Joanc. Kaufman, Michael. Kaufman, Christian (saw-miller's 801). Harr, Conrad. Kaufman, Christian. Kindig, widow. Kithofer, Jucob. Kindig, Jucob. Klug, Carl. Krebill, Rudolph. Krauter, Thomas. Keller, Michael. Kremer, John. Kilbefer, John.
Kremer, Jolın (old).
Kaufman, Audrew.
Staufer, John. Steigleman, Jacob. Funk, Thomas. Ulrich, AdInin. Whitmer, Michael.
Klug, Charles. Kaufman, Andrew (old). Lindner. Daniel. Lockert, Thomas. 1.ohrinan, Adamı.
Shipley, Johu. Smiling, George. Sneyder, Michael.
Yiedery, John. Zimmer man, Fred.
Shenk, Michael. Staufer, John.
Freemen.
Beligart, Thomas.
MeManue, William.
Hair, David.
954
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
In 1743, Mr. Ewing died, and within a year after she married an Irish officer named John Connolly, who had been a surgeon in the British service. He was a strong Roman Catholic. By this husband she had one son, the subject of this sketch. After her husband's death, which took place about the year 1747, she removed to Lancaster. She had a great deal of wealth, and it is presumed that she sent her son to the best schools the town afforded. She died in 1755, and it is supposed that her son was placed in charge of Col. George Croghan, who was his unele. Where or with whom he studied medicine is not now known, but he doubtless became attached to a roving and adventurous life while traveling with his uncle Croghan, whose business as an Indian trader took him among the tribes in the far West. After the conquest of Canada by the English, and the subjugation of the Indians by Col. Boquet, the French agreed to surren- der all of their forts and possessions east of the Missis- sippi River.
Lieut .- Col. Wilkins was sent ont to the Illinois to take command of that department. He arrived there on the 5th day of September, 1765, and took command, and set up a civil government. A number of the offi- cers were from Virginia and Pennsylvania, and he seems to have been followed by a large number of Indian traders.
David Franks, an Indian trader and merchant of Philadelphia, was commissary of subsistence and sup- plied the Royal Irish Regiment. A number of these Pennsylvania Indian traders, probably Wharton, Boynton, Gratz, and Croghan, established a very ex- tensive store at Kaskaskia. On the 8th day of De- cember, 1768, Dr. John Connolly came to the Kas- kaskia store and purchased some loaf-sugar, Bohea tea, tallow candles, and a pint of rum, and on the 9th instant he purchased various articles for house- keeping, such as knives and forks, spoons, table cloth, tea-kettle, etc. He purchased at this store almost daily, and among the articles were large quantities of rum. It is possible that he went with a detach- ment of troops as surgeon. We find, however, that on the Hth day of February, 1769, he formed a partnership with Joseph Hollingshead, formerly of Burlington, N. J., and purchased at the Kaskaskia store goods amounting to four thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine pounds, twelve shillings, and sixpence, and also boats and bateaux for one thousand pounds. These purchases were followed quickly by several other large purchases.
spring of 1771, greatly in debt. He went up the Ohio to Pittsburgh, where he met Lord Dunmore, the Gov- ernor of Virginia, and came to the Ohio to look after the interests of Virginia, claiming jurisdiction over the western part of Pennsylvania.
The adventurous, bold, and dashing character of Connolly, and his knowledge of the country beyond the Ohio and of numerous Indian tribes, whose lan- guage he spoke fluently, led Dunmore to make a bar- gain with him. He was given two thousand acres of land at the Falls of the Ohio, where Louisville now is ; was made commandant, with supreme power, at Fort Pitt, the name of which Dunmore changed, calling it after himself. A majority of the most prominent settlers in that part of Pennsylvania then claimed by Virginia accepted the very liberal terms offered to them by Dunmore, and, in consequence, they seemed to prefer to live under that jurisdiction rather than under Penn's, who would not consent to allow any settlers on the land along the Ohio until they first purchased it from the Indians, which was done late in the fall of 1768 at the treaty at Fort Stanwix.
Connolly found this divided allegiance, and he took decided and violent measures to coerce the adherents of the Penus into the support of Dunmore. He un- dertook to abolish the Justice's Court at Hannas- town by imprisoning the justices, some of whom he sent to prison at Staunton, Va. His violent and reckless conduct brought ou Indian hostilities, which was retaliated by O're-ap and others, and an Indian war was the result.
Lord Dunmore adhered to the fortunes of the cor- rupt king of England, and when measures were taken to punish the rebels at Boston, he was using violent measures in Virginia to coerce the people into the support of the king and Parliament. Connolly sided with Dunmore and left the Ohio, where it was be- coming uncomfortably warm for him, and found his way to Boston, where he received a colonel's com- mission in the British service from Gen. Gage. Hle returned to Baltimore with his commission, and started for the Ohio and the lakes with the intention of raising a regiment among the Indians, with the in- tention of making war upon the frontier settlers.
When passing through llagerstown upon horse- back, with a single companion, he was arrested by the " minute-men" and taken prisoner to Lancaster and Philadelphia, where he was thrown into jail. HIis commission was found concealed in his saddle- bags. After remaining in jail for several months, his half-brother, Gen. James Ewing, became security for his good behavior. Ile was paroled and sent to the plantation of Gen. Ewing, near Wrightsville, and part of the conditions were that he was not to go farther than six miles from Gen. Ewing's mansion. He was there but a short time when it was discovered that he was again plotting against the colonies.
On the Ist of August, 1769, for the first time, Dr. Connolly's wife is charged with several articles upon the books of the company, and we infer that he mar- ried her in that place. She was doubtless the daugh- ter of an Indian trader, perhaps of Deunis Me- Croghan, who may have been the brother of Col. George Croghan. The adventures of Connolly and Hollingshead doubtless resulted in a financial failure, lle was rearrested and taken to Philadelphia and for Connolly suddenly left the neighborhood in the ! put in prison. We find him before the close of the
955
MANOR TOWNSHIP.
war in Canada. While he lived he was on half-pay of the " British establishment." After the close of the war he made an effort to recover his land at the Falls of the Ohio, and attempted to enlist some army officers in a scheme to capture Lonisiana and set up a separate government in the West.
Had Dr. Connolly chosen to take a stand in behalf of the republic, he doubtless would have attained a very high rank. He died in Canada, and we are not aware that he left any descendants there.
Millersville .- The principal village of Manor township is Millersville, which was founded over a century ago by John Miller, and was first called Mil- lersburg, then Millerstown, and lastly Millersville.
Oct. 16, 1738, Michael Mayer took out a patent for
June 4, 1761, John Miller received a patent for one hundred and fifty acres adjoining the aforesaid tract, and also another patent on the 19th day of January, 1764, for sixty acres. March 29, 1764, he purchased . eight and three-fourths acres from John Correll (Charles) and Magdalena, his wife, who had received a patent for the same July 23, 1761. These tracts contained about four hundred and sixty-two acres. Miller sold one hundred and three acres to Isaac Kauffman. In 176] he laid out a town in five-acre lots, subject to an annual quit-rent. In the same year he laid out a street upon the four sides of one of his largest purchases. The small traet of eight and three- fourths acres lay on the south side of the street, near the site of the Normal School. Some of the first of these five-acre lots were purchased by Paul Hansman, who sold two of them to Abraham Peters, father of the late Abraham Peters, who was born in the place in 1791, and who remained a resident of the place until his death in 1882. The original deed is in the possession of the Peters family, and bears date 1764, referring, however, to Oet. 16, 1738, at which time the tract was purchased by Michael Mayer. The lots in 1876.
purchased by Abraham Peters, Sr., with two addi- tional ones of five acres each, or a parcel containing ten acres, bought by Abraham Peters, Sr., from Jacob Sinn, still remain.
As early as 1764, Hausman kept a tavern here on the site of the present Black Horse, erected by the late Abraham Peters in 1825. There was a store here as early as 1769 or 1770, but the only one of which
After the close of the Revolutionary war, Dr. Con- nolly visited his half-brother, Gen. Ewing, several times. Upon one occasion, in an unguarded moment, fany record exists was that kept by Philip Shissler when seated at the table, he boastingly made the , about 1789. threat that the British army would come down from John Miller, the founder of the town, occupied a house on the present property of Abraham Frantz. There are two buildings yet standing that were erected before the Revolution. One is a tenement-house, now owned by Henry Lintner. It was built by Jacob Sinn. The other stands nearly opposite, on the Blue Rock road. Canada and conquer the United States. Gen. Ewing sprang to his feet and seized him by the throat, and was separated from him with great difficulty by his wife. Both regretted the occurrence very much, for they loved each other, although they were so widely separated upon political questions.
A post-office was established in this village as early as 1820, the commission coming to the late Abraham Peters through James Buchanan. John Lintner made an addition to Millerstown in 1810, otherwise the boundaries are the same as at first laid out. The addition made by Lintner, and called Lintner's divis- ion, embraced that part of Millersville on the road from the " Black Horse" Hotel to Lancaster.
Millersville, spread over an area of over two miles, two hundred and seventeen aeres, the boundaries of ' has never become a compact village. The principal which formed a parallelogram. The traet was sit- thoroughfare is the turnpike leading from Lancaster uated in the Cone-toga Manor, near its northeastern ' to Millersville, which was established in 1839. The boundary, and was surveyed in May, 1737, and the village has made considerable progress of late, and is now the largest unincorporated town in Lancaster County, having a population of over twelve hundred. original patent was given by Thomas Penn, Esq. Michael Mayer and his wife, Elizabeth, conveyed the same to their son, Michael Mayer, Jr., June 22, 1745, and May 8, 1749, Michael Mayer, Jr., sold the tract to John Miller, a blacksmith, of Lancaster, for six hundred pounds.
Millersville has improved much within the last twelve years. It now has three general stores, one grocery-store, one shoe-store, one agricultural-imple- ment store, one agricultural-implement manufactory, three hotels, four coach-manufactories, one lumber- yard, two coal-yards, a number of cigar-manufactories, and other business prices.
Miller-ville has tive churches, -one Methodist Epis- copal, one Evangelical, one Reformed, and two Lu- theran Churches. The first church edifice was erected in 1843, jointly by the Lutheran and Reformed con- gregations. Both of these had church organizations here long prior to this date, as had also the Meth- odists, who afterwards erected a plain frame edifice. The Evangelical congregation erected a plain brick house about half a mile west of the Normal School, on the turnpike leading to Safe Harbor, in 1852. This building was enlarged, and a steeple was added in 1866. The Methodists erected a large new two-story brick building close to the Normal School in 1869-70. The Lutheran and Reformed congregations each erected large two-story brick edifices with large steeples, on the main street, between the Normal School and the "Black Horse Hotel," in 1871. A small Lutheran congregation erected a small but neat brick building not far west of the Normal School
956
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
In June, 1874, the street railway from Lancaster to Millersville was constructed at a cost of forty thousand dollars, and it is one of the chief improvements of the place. It was extended to the west end of the village in 1877. The street-cars make seven trips daily between the two places.
The leading citizens of Millersville are Jacob Pickel, a large property-owner, who lives in a large three-story brick dwelling about one-fourth mile west of the Normal School; his son-in-law, Jacob F. War- fel, confectioner, who lives with him ; Henry Bowman, merchant, whose dwelling and store are directly op- posite; Dr. P. W. Hliestand, dentist, a short distance farther westward, who owns and occupies a large and elegant three-story dwelling ; Andrew H. Howard, con- fectioner, opposite the Normal School ; the brothers John and Henry Lintner, living at the upper end of the town. In the southwestern part of the village, about half a mile west of the Normal School, is a steam saw-mill and a coal- and lumber-yard, owned and conducted by Nunemaker & Levenite. Samuel upper end of Millersville, and John Stauffer has a grocery-store, an agricultural implement store, and a coal-yard nearly opposite. Amos Baker has a store at the upper end of the village, and Henry Bowman and Mrs. Mary A. Hoofstitler have stores at the lower end. Smith & Hofferd are coach- and wagon-makers at the lower end. Abraham Breneman is a coach- and wagon-maker in the same part of the village, and his shop is connected with those of Benjamin F. Esh- elman and Cyrus Stambach, blacksmiths. Anthony Ernst is a blacksmith and a coach- and wagon-maker on the street leading from the Normal School to the " Black Horse." Abner Livengood is a coach- and wagon-maker at the upper end of Millersville, just on the west side of the " Black Horse Hotel." Harry Shaub is a blacksmith, just opposite the " Black Horse Hotel." Henry Immel is a blacksmith. Al- mus M. Brubaker is a saddler at the lower end of the village. Amos Fenstermaker has a cigar- and to- bacco-store at the lower end. William Widmyer has a barber-shop in the same building, which is owned by Jacob Pickel. Dr. Milton T. Reeder has a drug-
kept by John 11. Miller ; the "Black Horse," so long owned by the late Abraham Peters, is now kept by Benjamin F. Daily ; and the hotel at the eastern end of thevillage, in Lintner's Division, by Christian B. Herr.
The town has two practicing dentists, Dr. P. W. Hiestand and Dr. A. S. Miller, both living at the lower end of the village on opposite sides of the street. Dr. McCalla, a retired dentist and founder of the State Dental Association, of which he was once president, resides in their immediate neighborhood.
There have been only two new streets laid out ju Millersville since the first, and these in the last few years. The private dwellings recently erected in the place are fine structures, either brick or frame. Among the most elegant residences may be men- tioned those of Dr. P. W. Hiestand, David Landis, Jacob Landis, Tobias Stehman, Andrew H. Howard, Jacob S. Gamber, the residence of the late Abraham Peters, Henry Lintner, and a number of others.
Millersville had about fifteen years ago three seeret Shenk has an agricultural implement factory at the "organizations. The American Mechanics had a lodge, but it had only an existence of a few years. The Good-Fellows was another secret organization, whose lodge was as short-lived as the American Mechanics. The Good Templars maintained an organization at this place for nearly a quarter of a century, and only disbanded a few years since. It was called Samaritan Lodge, and although at first organized and conducted by citizens of the village, was for the last fifteen years mainly conducted by and composed of Normal School students, the great leader and mainstay of the lodge being Samuel G. Behmer, who since 1864 has been steward of the Normal School. Mr. Behmer's en- thusiastie devotion to the cause of temperance and his zeal for the support of the lodge.was for a long time seconded by others, but eventually the lodge dwindled down and was finally obliged to dissolve, the members joining elgwhere.
Union Hall was erected in 1861, and was owned by Christian Herr. It was bought by Jacob Pickel in 1871, and is still owned by him. It is located in the lower end of Millersville, beside Mr. Pickel's resi- dence. It is a large three-story frame structure. On the second floor is a large hall-room for the meetings of open societies, for lectures, political meetings, con- certs, exhibitions, balls, public entertainments, fairs, and public gatherings in general. On the third floor is a large lodge-room.
store close by. Dr. M. T. Reeder is a practicing physician at the lower end of the town, and Dr. Ben- jamin F. Herr at the upper end. Daniel H. Lintner is a justice of the peace. A. O. Newpher is post- master, and has his residence in the lower end of the village; he is also an attorney-at-law, having his Millersville has had for a long time two large public school buildings, each with two large school-rooms. Both these school-houses are brick structures, and are supplied with bell and cupola, with the latest im- proved school furniture, and with all the necessary school apparatus. The house in the lower end of the village is a two-story building with two school-rooms, office in Lancaster. There are almost twenty cigar manufacturers in the village. For a long period, until about twenty years ago, there were about as many coopers in the place, but the number has grad- ually dwindled down, and there are now but three to be found in all this extensive village. James Keemer and his son, Henry Keemer, are. carpenters. There . The house in the central part of the village is a long are now three hotels in the village,-the one at the . one-story building with two rooms. lower end, opposite Bowman's store, is owned and | The State Normal School .-- This institution is
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957
MANOR TOWNSILIP.
officially designated as the State Normal School of Pennsylvania of the Second District, but is popularly known as the Millersville State Normal School. It is located in the town of Millersville, four miles southwest of the city of Lancaster, with which it is ! connected by an excellent turnpike, and also by a street railway. The school thus possesses all the ad- vantages of a country location, with direct city con- nections, and is convenient of access from every part of the State.
The Millersville Normal School is one of the largest State Normal Schools in the United States, The buildings cover an area of about thirty thousand square feet, or nearly three-fourths of an acre. The number of students vary from six hundred and fifty to eight hundred a year. During some years it has reached nearly nine hundred. The number of pro- fessors and instructors is from twenty to twenty-five, varying with the number of students. The number of persons employed in the management of the board- ing department averages about thirty, making a total of abont fifty officers, instructors, and employe, neces- sary for the complete running of the institution.
The origin of the school at Millersville was due to the large-heartedness and courage of a handful of citizens in the little village which it has made so conspicuous. And their struggles and sacrifices, per- sonal and pecuniary, to lay the foundations of what developed into this splendid educational institution, is a chapter in the early school history of Penn- sylvania, which must survive the institution itself. After the school became a success friends flocked to it in scores, But the names of L. M. Hobbs, Barton B. Martin, Daniel S. Bare, Jonas B. Martin, Jacob R. Barr, John Brady, which are inseribed on the marble tablet in the old building of 1854, formed the nucleus about which as "the founders" must gather whatever of credit belongs to the starting of the celebrated school, out from whose walls up to this time have come twenty thousand students to dispense broader learning and ampler educational facilities in the commonwealth. The founders were all humble, plain men in their way, but involved with a desire for higher educational privileges for the community. L. M. Hobbs, the village schoolmaster, suggested the erection of an academy. B. B. Martin seconded the suggestion with a liberal subscription, being the only man of wealth in the party, so the idea took root and grew, and the present ample dimensions and widespread influence are the result of the initia- tive of these two men. The others named above each contributed according to his means; one sent his horse and cart to assist in digging the foundations ; another superintended without pay ; another took the subscription-list among his neighbors. It was a labor of love full of discouragements at the begin- ning; but by dint of coaxing for funds among the farmers, and appealing to liberally-disposed citizens elsewhere, and by generous subscriptions themselves,
the first directors, not without many vicissitudes, succeeded in constructing the original building which they called the Millersville Academy. The extent of their undertaking will be perceived when it is re- membered that even in 1855 the county of Lancaster had many people hostile to free schools and the de- velopment of the free school system. The State had not yet to any extent become the patron of educa- tion. The whole system was new and untried. Millersville became the seat of the pioneer Normal School, because from the buildings and facilities that she put at the disposal of the public thus early, men like Hon. Thomas Burroughs and Professor J. P. Wickersham recognized a spirit friendly to educa- tion and full of sympathy with the new system.
In the winter of 1854-55 the trustees of the new in- stitution, B. B. Martin, John Brady, D. S. Barr, J. B. Martin, Jacob R. Barr, learning that the county super- intendent of Lancaster County was desirous to secure a building in which to hold a three months' teachers' institute, offered their large and commodious structure gratuitously. They promised to supply the want of boarding accommodations by private hospitality, and beside pledged themselves individually for one thou- sand dollars towards defraying the expenses. Such wax the spirit that animated the founders of this cele- brated school, and the zeal they manifested in its behalf brought it friends.
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