USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County : to which is prefixed a brief sketch of the early history of Pennsylvania > Part 33
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On the 10th of March, A. D. 1787,* the General Assembly of
*Page 318 antea.
12 Sm. laws, page 398.
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the State, granted the prayer of the petitioners, and passed an act with the following title : " An act to incorporate and endow the German College and Charity School in the borough of Lancaster, in this State." The Preamble of the act explains the object which it was intended to effect, and is in the follow- ing words, viz: " Whereas, the citizens of this State of German birth or extraction, have eminently contributed, by their indus- try, economy and public virtues, to raise the State to its present happiness and prosperity : And, whereas, a number of citizens of the above description, in conjunction with others, from a desire to increase and perpetuate the blessings desired to them from the possession of property and a free government, have applied to this House for a charter of Incorporation, and a do- nation of lands, for the purpose of establishing and endowing a College and Charity School, in the borough of Lancaster. And, whereas, the preservation of the principles of the Chris- tian Religion, and of our Republican form of Government in their purity, depend, under God, in a great measure, on the establishment and support of suitable places of education, for the purpose of training up a succession of youth, who by being enabled fully to understand the grounds of both, may be led the more zealously, to practice the one, and the more strenu- ously to defend the other. Therefore, &c." Here then follow the different sections of the act, the prominent features of which are these: §2. That the youth shall be taught in the German, English, Latin, Greek and other learned languages, in Theology, in the useful arts, sciences and Literature. The corporate title shall be "Franklin College," in honor of His Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, President of the Su- preme Executive Council, &c. The first Trustees are named and incorporated with the usual powers. Yearly income not to exceed £10,000. The annual meeting of the trustees to be at Lancaster, nine of them to be a quorum and to appoint their own officers. The Principal, vice Principal or Professors while they remain such, are not to hold the office of trustee. The style and powers of the faculty are prescribed. Propor- tion of Trustees how to be chosen, and Principal to be chosen alternately from the Lutheran or Calvinist Churches. Seat of Trustee being a Clergyman, to be filled with another Clergy- man, but the proportion of Lutheran and Calvinist trustees to
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be invariably preserved. Trustees empowered to appoint other officers not named in the charter, to fix salaries, &c. Misnomer not to defeat any gift &c., nor non-user to create a forfeiture, &c. §3. The Constitution not to be altered but by the Legislature. §4. The College endowed with 10,000 acres. of land, &c.
Under this charter and a donation subsequently granted by an act of Assembly, consisting of an old military store-house and two lots of ground in the borough of Lancaster, worth about $2000, the College went into operation, A. D. 1786, as a Grammar School, with a Professor of the Latin and Greek lan- guages, and also a Professor of Mathematics. The first pro- fessor was a German by the name of Melsheimer. Ardently attached to literary pursuits, he strove long and earnestly to create a proper taste for them, among the Germans and their descendants. To some extent he succeeded, for under his management the Hohe Schule* prospered for a little while ; but continually owing to the want of a proper management of its finances, it afterwards gradually declined, until about the year 1821, when it ceased all further practical operations : But it was not doomed to sleep in inglorious inactivity, like the Phoenix from her ashes, it was destined to rise again with renewed usefulness, as we shall hereafter shew, when through the prudence of its Trustees, its funds should be carefully hus- banded, and their ability to support its existence from the income, would be undoubted.
In the meanwhile, private schools and academies were estab- lished and supported in the Borough and various sections of the county, but no organized or settled system being adopted for their government, none of them attained to any eminence. It is true, large numbers of poor children in the county, as well as the city, were educated free of expense, pursuant to the provisions of the act of Assembly of April 4, A. D. 1809,- entitled " An act for the education of the poor gratis;" but such education, owing to the general incompetency of the teachers, was exceedingly limited. The system established by this act, having been found in its practical operation, to be both expensive and inadequate to the wants of the people in the
*Anglice-High School.
15 Sm. laws, pages 73 and 74.
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city of Lancaster, another act was passed by the Legislature on the 1st day of April, A. D. 1822, entitled "An act to provide for the education of children at the public expense, within the city and incorporated Boroughs of the County of Lancaster." By the provisions of this act, the city and incor- porated boroughs of the county, were erected into a school district, by the name, style and title of the "Second School District of the State of Pennsylvania." Twelve Directors were to be annually appointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions of the County-their duties and powers were prescribed-the ad- mission of children regulated-the Lancasterian system ordered to be adopted-the expenses provided for-the duty of the County Commissioners set forth, and the division of the district into sections whenever required-how to be done, -- Under this act, the first and only section of the district was com posed of the city of Lancaster.
The Directors appointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions, proceeded at once, to purchase a lot of ground, erect a large and commodious school house, employ male and female teach- ers, admit scholars, and in pursuance of the law, adopting the Lancasterian system of education, opened their schools with the highest hopes of success. In this they were not disappointed. The plan worked so well, that the city of Lancaster until lately did not become an accepting school district under the provisions of the general school law of June 13, A. D. 1836.+ But the expense of erecting a school-house, and of continuing the schools, being borne out of the County treasury, it never ceased, because of its partiality, to be a source of complaint on the part of the inhabitants of the county. Nevertheless, the schools-male and female departments-continued in ope- ration under this special law-with all their objectionable features as pauper schools-until in the month of May, A. D. 1838, when, in pursuance of the provisions of certain Resolu- tions, passed by the Legislature on the 14th day of April, A. D. 1838,į the inhabitants, by a popular vote, determined upon an acceptance of the Common School System, modified and adopt- ed to their circumstances by the Resolutions already referred to.
*7 Sm. laws, 538.
+Pam. laws 1835-'36, page 525. ¢Pam, laws 1837-'8, page 686.
38*
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Upon the result of this vote being made known, the Board of Directors was organized, and through their indefatigable exer- tions, schools have been established so numerous and so well graded, that every child in the city can be educated "without money and without price," to an extent which but fifty years ago was seldom attained even by the children of wealthy parents.
While upon this subject, it may as well be observed, that a deep and growing interest in the cause of education is mani- festing itself daily, in the rural districts, for out of thirty-three school districts in the county, eighteen in 1842, had accepted the provisions of the Common School law .*
It must not be supposed while these efforts were making to. instruct the great mass of the children of Lancaster county in the elementary branches of an English education, the inhab- itants were unmindful of the higher and more difficult ones .- We shall speak of these hereafter. Thus have the exertions of the friends of education been crowned with eminent success, in the establishment and support of Common Schools, as well in many parts of the county as in the city of Lancaster.
While these movements were making for the extension of learning to and among the children of the town and county, a number of Master Mechanics of the city, perceiving that their apprentices were destitute of the means of mental improve- ment, and taught by their own experience, that idleness is the prolific source of vice-a rock upon which has stranded the highest hopes and fondest expectations of parents and friends- with a commendable determination to project some plan, by which the leisure hours of their apprentices might be rationally employed, convened a public meeting for consultation and advice upon this subject, on the evening of July 8, A. D. 1829. At this meeting Hugh Maxwell, Esq. presided; and out of it soon grew "The Mechanics Society." A constitution was soon after formed, agreed upon and submitted to the Supreme Court, by which a charter was decreed, May 26, A. D. 1831 .- Having thus procured a legal existence, the society soon went into active operation. By voluntary contributions, a Library was commenced and has gone on increasing in size aud value,
*9th annual Report of the Superintendent of Common Schools.
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until it now numbers near 2,000 volumes, besides a valuable collection of maps, globes, philosophical apparatus, &c. &c.
The Library soon became the centre of attraction to the apprentices, and an improvement morally as well as mentally, became apparent in their habits and condition. Increasing in strength and character, the society found it necessary to procure a Hall for their accommodation, in which a system of "popular instruction, by familiar lectures," was soon after (A. D. 1836) carried into operation under the management of a committee appointed for that purpose. These lectures, at first confined to Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, &c. soon became popular, and in a short time after, were ex- tended and enlarged so as to embrace almost every science and every subject, except that of Religion. In 1838, a new and capacious Hall was erected in South Queen street, for the better accommodation of the crowds which gather from time to time listen to the words of instruction and of interest, as they fall from the lips of the Lecturers, engaged through the enter- prize and liberality of the Society. Of it, all that we have to say is, that it has done much and great good, and to it, we have only to add our prayer-ESTO PERPETUA !
We now return to consider the efforts made for the endow- ment and support of schools of a higher order than those here- tofore treated of-classical and mathematical acadamies, where inquiring youth might attain a knowledge of the languages of Homer and Demosthenes, of Cicero and Virgil-where they might be taught to solve the problems of Euclid-to study the works of Gallileo-explore the vast fields of Natural Philoso- phy, Astronomy and Chemistry, with all the various sciences, necessary to the constitution of a finished scholar.
Immediately after the suspension of the Grammar or High School of the "Franklin College," as already shewn, but one private classical academy existed in Lancaster. This school was at best but feebly supported, and was at length discon- tinued. A taste for classic literature however, having been created to some extent, among the people, application was made to the Legislature during the session of 1826-"7, for the incorporation of an academy at Lancaster, and on the 14th day of April, A. D. 1827,* an act was passed entitled " An act
"Pam. laws, page 357.
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incorporating the Lancaster County Academy." In this act certain gentlemen were named as Trustees-the corporation was established with the usual powers-the powers, privileges, meetings and duties of the trustees were prescribed-a dona- tion of $3,000 was granted by the state, and poor children, not exceeding at any one time, four in number, to be educated in consideration thereof: The Trustees thus appointed by the act, organized, received subscriptions, purchased a lot of ground in the city of Lancaster, and in the year 1828, erected a large and commodious house for their schools. They em- ployed a competent Teacher, and the academy was opened under very flattering auspices. With varied, and at best, but indifferent success, it continued in operation, until in the Summer of 1839, when, in pursuance of an act of Assembly, passed on the 15th of May, A. D. 1839, authorizing the arrange- ment, the buildings of the Academy were conveyed to the Trustees of Franklin College, and after being considerably enlarged by the latter corporation, the "Hohe Schule" again went into operation upon an entirely new plan, and under such an arrangement, as to secure its permanent existence and use- fulness. So far indeed has it succeeded, that it now supports a professor of the Greek and Latin, and also one of the German, French, Spanish and Italian languages. The English and Mathematical department is also under the charge of a gentle- man of superior ability. Thus has the intention of those who originally projected the plan and procured the incorporation of the "Hohe Schule" or Franklin College, at Lancaster, been practically carried out. Long may it continue to flourish, and be what it now is-an honor to the county, and the dispenser of riches more " precious than rubies or fine gold !"
Simultaneous with this movement, in the city, efforts were made with great success in various parts of the county, for the establishment of Classical and Mathematical academies, inde- pendently of those already existing at Litiz and Ephrata. Of these there are at this day, some of very high character and extensive reputation as Boarding schools. Among the most prominent, is "The Mountjoy Institute," at the village of Mountjoy, under the charge of J. H. Brown, Esq .- " The Strasburg Academy," at the village of Strasburg, under the direction of the Rev. Dr. McCarter-"The Paradise Academy,"
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under the care of Mr. Enos Stevens, and the Rev. Mr. Timlow's Academy, at Bellevue. The Columbia Academy is also re- spectable in character, but only as a Day School, where boys are taught the Latin and Greek languages-Mathematics, &c.
In this honorable provision for the mental improvement of the youth of the sterner-it must not be supposed that those of the softer-sex, have been ungenerously forgotten : Impress- ed with the importance of this great truth-that good mothers train up good sons, and that they-more than the fathers-form the characters of their children-the citizens of the city and county alike, have sought with commendable zeal, to secure the services of able and competent teachers, whose attention, should be devoted exclusively to the proper education of fe- males. As a result of these efforts-a Seminary has been established and is in successful operation in the city under the control of James Damant, Esq. which in point of standing and character is equal to any other in Pennsylvania. As a Board- ing School, the Young Ladies Seminary at Litiz has been already spoken of; and in addition to it, "The Young Ladies Lyceum Institute"-Rev. N. Dodge, A. M. Principal-located on the banks of the Chicquesalunga creek near the village of Mountjoy-is perhaps, as regards accommodations-kind attention to the wants of the pupils-facility for acquiring a competent and thorough knowledge of all the various branches and accomplishments taught at similar institutions, if not superior to, at least surpassed by none other in the country.
The civilization of any people is progressive, so also is their education. Habits inconsistent with the growth of the former, and tastes incompatible with the advance of the latter, are to be changed and overcome. Hence the transition is not nor can it ever be, either immediate or instantaneous. The move- ments are at first slow, gradual and confined to the few ; but as their benefits are extended, they become accelerated and penetrate into all the various strata of society. With regard to Lancaster county, this has been particularly so. At first, the inhabitants were content with schools conducted by teach- ers who would scarcely be tolerated by any community at the present day. But as we have already stated generally, in the commencement of this chapter, as they increased in pop- ulation and wealth, their tastes improved with their pecu-
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niary abilities and as a consequence, their schools advanced in character in an equal degree, so that they will now bear com- parison with those of any other community in the Union .- Born and bred as we were upon her soil, when we contem- plate the efforts of her citizens in the cause of Education, as they have been practically carried out in the establishment and liberal support of our Common and Sabbath schools, Lyceums-and Academies and Female Seminaries, we have abundant cause for gratulation, that our lot has been cast: in such a land.
It has been said somewhere, by some one, that Pericles, who succeeded Aristides, found the city of Athens of brick and left it of marble. Truly the Germans who first penetrated into and settled Lancaster county, have done more than this. They found it in its physical aspect, a wilderness-they left it to their children blooming as the rose, and they in turn with their descendants, have so improved the mental character of its people, that their light is seen and felt from afar off. Be the endeavor of this and succeeding generations, not only to maintain their present character, but to improve it still more ; and as they gather beneath the banner whereon is inscribed "the Education of all"-let there be one universal shout- EXCELSIOR !
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LANCASTER COUNTY.
CHAPTER XII.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS-Early missionaries among the Conestoga and other Indians-The Mennonites-The Friends or Quakers-The Omish or Amish-The Episcopalians-The Presbyterians-The German Bap- tists-The German Seventh Day Baptists-The Lutherans-The German Reformed-The United Brethren or Moravians-The Roman Catholics- The Methodist Episcopal-The New Jerusalem Church-The Evangeli- cal Association or " Abrecht's Leute"-The Reformed Mennonites-The Universalists-The Seceders-The United Brethren or " Allgemeine Brueder"-The Church of God-The Calvanistic Baptists-The Mor- mons, &c.
IF diversity of creeds, or multiplicity of religious sects serve as a standard of deep toned piety and christian benevolence, then may the people of Lancaster county lay claim to a goodly share ; for there is no spot upon earth, with so limited a popu- lation and the same confined territory, that counts more de- nominations, than Lancaster. But with all this diversity, there are few, if any, irreligious controversies, that usually charac- terize bigots, among the inhabitants. Each seems to promote his own and his neighbor's welfare, and therewith appears content.
In this chapter we shall attempt a succinct sketch of the seve- ral religious denominations found in this county. We regret it, that only a few of the score of ministers whom we addressed to furnish religious statistics, have seen proper to comply .*
At an early period missionaries of the Swedish church visited the Indians, within the present limits of Lancaster county .- The Friends also paid some attention to the Indians. As early
*For an accurate and impartial account of the history and doctrines of all the religious denominations in the United States, the reader is referred to a work entitled He Pasa Ecclesia, or the Whole Church in the United States ; every article of the work quoted has been expressly written for it by eminent theological professors, ministers or distinguished lay members of each re- spective denomination. It is the only work extant that can be relied on as being impartial and authentic. Rupp, Clyde, Williams & Co., of Harris- burg, Pa., are the publishers. The work is in press.
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as 1705, Thomas Chalkley, an eminent preacher among the Quakers, visited the Indians living near Susquehanna, at Con- estoga, and preached to them. In 1708 or 1709, a Swedish Lu- theran, in the capacity of a missionary, resided among the Conestoga Indians, to instruct them in the christian religion.
THE MENNONITES .- In 1709, several families from the Pala- tinate, descendants of the distressed Swiss Mennonites settled on Pequea creek. With this colony came Hans Herr, a Men- nonite minister, who dispensed to them the word of life. The Mennonites were of course the first regularly organized de- nomination in the county. Among their first ministers in this county, before 1725, were Hans Herr, Ulrich Breckbill, Hans Tschantz, Hans Burkholter, Christian Herr, Benedict Hirschi, Martin Bear, Johannes Bauman. They had been very numer- ous till about the year 1791, or '92, when a certain Martin Boehm and others made inroads upon them, and a considera- ble number seceded and united themselves with the United Brethren or Vereinigte Brueder, nevertheless, they are still the prevalent denomination in this county. They have about forty-five ministers in the county. These are divided into bishops and ordinary ministers. The bishops at present are the Revds. Jacob Hostater, Jacob Zimmerman, Christian Herr, Henry Schenk, and Mr. Bomberger; among their ordinary teachers are the Revds. Daniel Gehman, Mr. Guth, Mr. Gehman, Tobias Warner, Mr. Sherick, Joseph Wenger, Jacob Weaver, Jacob Stauffer, Joseph Hershy, Joseph Horst, Jacob Hershy, Henry Breneman, Benjamin Herr, John Kreider, David Witmer, Mr. Staufer, Benjamin Eby, A. Brubaker, John Shenk, Andrew Kauffman, Christian Herr, Martin Mayer, Daniel Sterneman, John Hoover, Christian Kaufman, John Kindig, John Nissly, Christian Nissly, John Schlott, David Ebersole, Peter Ebersole, Mr. Brubecker and others whose names we have not learned.
These all preach in German. They have upwards of thirty- five meeting houses. Some of the congregations are large, numbering rising of two hundred members. The probable number of Mennonite church members, we think cannot be less than six thousand. As they keep no records of names, it is somewhat difficult to ascertain the exact number. Their forefathers all brought Bibles with them. We have seen within
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the last year, several of Froschauer's edition of the Swiss Bible, printed at Zurich, 1540, and still in a good state of pre- servation, with the Mennonites.
THE FRIENDS OR QUAKERS .- These are next in order to the Mennonites. They were very numerous about the years 1725 and 1730. Their meetings were well attended for a long time. In 1729, there were at least 1000 families of Friends in the county. They have since greatly diminished ; at present they have only 9 or 10 places of worship. There are two denomi- nations of them in the county-Orthodox and other Friends.
THE OMISH .- This society are Rigid Mennonites, not differing essentially from the Mennonites. At present, the chief differ- ence between the Omish and Mennonites, consists in the former being more simple in their dress, and more strict in their discipline. They settled in this county at an early date. They were numerous in 1735. Their number is comparatively small, having 5 or 6 ministers. They hold their religious meetings in private houses, founding this practice upon Acts I. 46.
THE EPISCOPALIANS .- Their ministers visited this county as early as 1717 or 1719. They were the first after the Mennon- ites and Quakers, to erect houses for religious worship. We could not obtain the names of their first ministers, except those who labored principally in the city of Lancaster. In 1744, the Episcopalians held a meeting at Lancaster, for the organiza- tion of a parish. The Rev. Richard Locke, an itinerant mis- sionary, was the first officiating minister. The following is the order in which others succeeded him: 1751, Rev. Geo. Craig ; 1759, Rev. Thomas Barton ; 1783, Rev. Joseph Hutchins ; 1791, Rev. Elisha Rigg ; 1799, Rev. Joseph Clarkson ; 1820, Rev. W. A. Muhlenberg became associated with the Rev. Clarkson; 1826, Rev. L. S. Ives ; 1827, Rev. Samuel Bowman, the present Rector; besides him, two others officiate in the county : the Rev'ds Levi Bull and E. Y. Buchanan. They have 4 places of public worship in the county.
THE PRESBYTERIANS .- About the year 1717 a number of Scotch and Irish Presbyterians, settled in the Octorara region. Among their first ministers was the Rev. Adam Boyd, who preached in Octorara in 1724. In 1726, Rev. Anderson received a call from the Donegal church. Rev. Alexander Craighead
39
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preached in Pequea in 1736. Rev. John Elder of Paxton, was of- dained in 1738; Rev. Dan'l Alexander was in Pequea 1739. The city was occasionally visited between the years 1745 and 1760. In 1769, the Rev. John Woodhull* became their regular min- ister in the borough of Lancaster. In 1779, the Rev. Nathaniel W. Semple was called, and was their pastor for 40 years ; in 1821, Rev. William Ashmead succeeded. These are in their order. In 1829, Rev. Richard Dickinson; 1834, Rev. J. T. Marshall Davie; 1840, Rev. John M'Nair. There are nine Presbyterian ministers residing in the county : Rev'ds M'Nair, Joseph Barr, Lindley C. Rutter, David M'Carter, T. Marshall Boggs, Philip J. Timlow, Alfred Nevin, Robert W. Dunlap, John Wallace and Samuel Dickey. They have 15 churches.
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