History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 158

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372

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Mr. Frazer continued in active business at Goldsboro until 1887, when he was suc- ceeded by his son, Edward K. Frazer. In 1872 he was a member of the Electoral Col-

Business since 1875 have been John Kis- Interests. ter, Henry C. Shelley, Charles lege which chose General Grant president Ziegner, Thomas Brubaker, J. K. of the United States for his second term.

Walton and Charles Ziegner. While the After his retirement from business at Golds- railroad was being constructed from York boro, he resided at Harrisburg until the to Harrisburg, Dr. Alexander Small, of time of his death, at the age of eighty-one York, employed Daniel M. Ettinger to years. make a survey of a plat of ground on which the present town of Goldsboro stands. Brownstone

Quarries.

As early as 1810 a valuable deposit of sandstone rock was discovered on a farm owned by Andrew Fortenbaugh, two

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

miles southwest of Goldsboro. In 1819 the and eight inches in thickness. In this work six large stone pillars which were placed in George Betz was assisted by his four sons, front of the rotunda of the State Capitol at Dr. I. H. Betz, now of York; Reuben Betz, of Newberry Township; George Betz, of Kansas, and Milton Betz, of Mt. Royal. In 1868 he disposed of these quarries to the Hummelstown Brownstone Company, which continued to operate them for sev- eral years. The facts in this story were fur- nished by Dr. I. H. Betz. Harrisburg were taken from this quarry. Each pillar was thirty feet in length and was composed of four sections. Each sec- tion contained 104 cubic feet. Two men, Ort and Kissinger, contracted to deliver the sections at Harrisburg, fifteen miles distant. They had a large wagon built, containing 1,300 pounds of iron for the purpose of con- Goldsboro was stirred from centre A to circumference in January, 1867. Prize What caused this commotion was Fight. the arrival of several hundred sporting men, who came to this place to witness a prize fight between Sam- uel Collyer, of Baltimore, and John Mc- Glade, of New York. Collyer came off vic- torious, after forty-seven rounds, and won the prize of $2,000. The fight lasted one hour. The sheriff of York County appeared veying these large sections. Eighteen horses were then hitched to the wagon to haul a load of about eight tons to Harris- burg. When the teamsters arrived at the large wooden bridge, erected it! 1817, across the Susquehanna, from Bridgeport to Har- risburg, the bridge authorities refused theni the use of the bridge, fearing the heavy weight of their load might break it down. But the men were undaunted and they de- cided to ford the stream, which they ac- on the ground with a small posse, but being complished without much inconvenience.

outnumbered, could do nothing to prevent They landed the first load at the place of the contest. It was said at the time that bets its destination and then went back and to the amount of $200,000 were won on the results of this prize fight. This money was carried away in triumph by parties from Baltimore. Kit Burns and Harry Hill, fa- mous sporting men, of New York, were brought another until the entire six pillars were lying in front of the capitol, ready for erection in the upright position in which they stood until the capitol was destroyed by fire in 1893. A considerable business present.

was done at these quarries in later years. In 1851 the land upon which the quarries are situated was purchased by Thomas Symington, of Baltimore, who owned a large stone yard and steam stone saw-mill in that city.

JEFFERSON.

In the year 1812, Frederick Kraft, who owned a considerable tract of land in Co- dorus Township, conceived the idea of lay- ing off a portion of it into lots. He engaged John L. Hinkle, of Hanover, associate judge of York County, to make a survey and draft or plan of ninety-four lots. Judge Hinkle, who was a prominent Democrat, in- duced the founder to call his town Jefferson, in honor of the statesman, who three years

Mr. Symington began operations on an extensive scale and sold the products of his quarries for the construction of a number of private and public buildings, including the stone jail at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1856 he sold his quarries to George Betz, an enterprising man, who was born in Lan- before had ended his second term as Presi- caster County, and early in life removed to dent of the United States. The Kraft store and hotel had been in existence for many years before the town was founded The house he occupied stood on the west side of Berlin Street. Kraft soon after built a house on the opposite side of the street. in which he moved his hotel and store. Jacob Pflieger, a blacksmith, was Kraft's first neighbor. Amos Shearer built a log house and opened a store. Jacob W. Wentz later conducted a store in this building, when he was elected recorder of deeds for York Ashland County, Ohio. Mr. Betz's ancestors had been engaged in the stone business both in Germany and this country, and when George Betz purchased these quarries, he removed upon the farm himself and oper- ated them successfully for a period of ten years. From these quarries the owner, about 1858, furnished the long steps at the main entrance in front of the State Capitol, twenty-two in number, which were each fif- teen feet in length, fourteen inches in width

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JEFFERSON

County. Michael Miller built the first brick and in 1836, being sick abed, he sent his wife house in the town, on the northwest angle to the polls, three and a half miles away, of the square, in 1815, and it was used by him for twenty years as a tavern. In 1907 it was used by G. S. Shive as a store and dwelling house. John Bair was a gunsmith. In 1815 John Dubs began the tanning busi- ness and in 1825 sold out to Henry Rebert, who continued the business until 1890. His brother William was associated with him. Jenkins Carrothers was the name of with the request that the election officers should accept the vote in his name. This was refused. Carrothers then hired a man to take him to the polls, while lying in bed in an open wagon. After the campaign of 1840 he returned to his home from a trip to York with the news of General Harrison's election as President of the United States. In the centre of the square he announced

Voter.

First an industrious Irishman, who early to the people the result of the presidential Whig in life came from the "Emerald election and then gave three enthusiastic Isle " to America, and about 1816 cheers for "Old Tippecanoe and Tyler too." He was postmaster of the village dur- ing Harrison's administration. Jenkins Carrothers died February 13, 1845, aged

settled in Jefferson, coming from York. He soon acquired a knowledge of the German dialect, as it was very essential to the inhabitants of this locality then, as fifty years.

well as now. He purchased the lot on the northwest angle of the Public Square. On this spot he built a log house, and began to poration. ply his trade of a hatter. He is remembered as a jolly, good natured person. He made hats of fur, of wool and of straw, and regu- larly went to Baltimore and York to dispose of his merchandise, selling some to his councilmen.

Jefferson was incorporated De-

Incor- cember 11, 1866. In 1867 the first borough election was held in the public school house, re- sulting as follows: Adam Bupp, burgess ; William Rebert, Joseph T. Bare, Samuel Brillhart, Barney Spangler, Zachariah Shue,

Benjamin Leese was ap- friends and neighbors. The comical side pointed secretary and served until his death of this Irishman's nature was shown in the in 1881, when he was succeeded by W. H. Brodbeck. The streets were carefully graded and pavements laid in 1874. The population in 1900 was 375. The town has a number of large and handsome residences, well paved streets, three fine churches, and is surrounded by a productive farming coun- try. The first school building stood near autumn of 1828, during a political campaign, preceding Andrew Jackson's first election as President of the United States. Carroth- ers had agreed with Henry Meyer to ac- company him to a grove and obtain a tall hickory pole, which was to be planted in the square with the American flag floating at its top, in honor of Andrew Jackson. On the east end of York Street, and was erected the return from the woods, Carrothers pro- about 1813. It was afterward used by Elias posed to sit astride the middle of the log Swartzbach as a pottery. A second school same site in 1871, at a cost of $1,200. W. H. Manifold, J. C. Ebaugh, J. C. Blair, Mag- as they came into town and interest the nu- house was built in 1853 and another on the merous spectators by cheering for the " Hero of New Orleans." Meyer sat on his lead horse and drove rapidly. Carrothers' gie Mckinsey, J. D. Zehring, Jr., W. B. could not maintain his equilibrium and fell Schweitzer, W. H. Brodbeck, E. G. Wil- to the ground, to the amusement of the liams, J. B. Douglass, D. B. Landis, J. R. jovial villagers and many others who had McElvaine, D. E. Ebaugh, F. L. Spangler. P. N. Strausbaugh, Maggie King, H. M. Heilman, E. O. Snodgrass and Mary F. Fink were some of the early teachers. gathered to witness the interesting cere- monies. It was more than this quick-wit- ted and hasty-tempered Irishman could en- dure. The jeers of his comrades exas-

perated him, and he declared he would vote Churches.

for Henry Clay for President.

He be-

Rev. Emanuel Keller, a Luth- eran clergyman, December 26, 1825, preached the first sermon

came the original Whig of Codorus Town- within the village of Jefferson. Soon after- ship, and for many years was the only per- ward a Lutheran congregation was organ- ized. In 1827 Rev. Samuel Gutelius, of son in the district who voted that ticket. He became an ardent devotee of his party Hanover, organized a Reformed congrega-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

tion, of which Christian Rennoll was elder, tre of attraction. All its apartments were and Christian Rennoll, Jr., deacon. The crowded. To the lively tunes of the inspi- services of both denominations were held in rited fiddlers, the jovial lads and lasses, clad the school house until 1830 when Emanuel's in linsey-woolsey and home-made flannel, Union Church was built, whose dimensions joined in the merry dance all day long and a large portion of the night. That every lad should "treat " his lassie was absolutely necessary in order to keep her affections and she demanded the privilege of stepping up to the venders' tables and selecting what- ever suited her best. These fairs were kept up for a number of years, but were of no value except for the amusement afforded. About 1840 the visitors became too boister- ous and fairs were discontinued. were 40x50 feet. The church contained a gallery along one end and two sides. This building was used until 1883 when the two denominations built separate churches. The Lutheran congregation erected Trin- ity Church, a beautiful brick building near the square. Rev. W. H. Ketterman was pastor for a quarter of a century and was succeeded in 1903 by Rev. W. H. Ehrhart. A Sunday School was organized in the Union Church in 1860.

Martin Shearer was postmaster from 1830 to 1840 when, upon the accession of General

Christ Reformed Church was built in 1883 at a cost of $3,300. The pastors of the Re- Harrison to the presidency, Jenkins Car- formed congregation who preached in the rothers, the original Whig of Codorus, suc- Union Church were Samuel Gutelius, Jacob Geiger, William Vandersloot, Joel S. Reber, Henry Bentz, Jacob Sechler, J. C. Kurtz and

ceeded him. The other postmasters in or- der have been as follows: George Snod- grass, Jacob Spangler, Albert Kraft, Dr. Rev. J. D. Zehring. In the new church, William F. Bringman, George S. Brodbeck, Rev. Silas F. Laury served for a short time and Chester Brodbeck. and was succeeded by Rev. Franklin A. 1902 and was succeeded by Rev. Nathan WV. Sechler.

Dr. Hambaugh came to the village early Guth, of Lehigh County, who retired in in its history, and was succeeded by Lehr-

ves, Utz, Conner, William F. Bringman, H. S. Jones, J. R. Brodbeck, Edward Sterner, Dr. Markle and Dr. J. H. Bennett.

Religious services were first conducted under the auspices of United Brethren in The justices of the peace in order have Christ by Rev. Samuel Enterline, in the been Daniel Ault, Benjamin Leese, Amos dwelling houses of members in 1847, which S. Spangler and W. H. Brodbeck, who was resulted in a church organization. A lot was elected county treasurer.

purchased on the east side of Baltimore Street, and a church building erected at a cost of $1,400. John Garman, Jacob Tho- man and Peter Zech were the building com- mittee. The following named clergymen have ministered to the congregation since its organization : Enterline, Snyder, Raber, Wagner, Coombs, Grimm, Kreider, Jones,

On the morning of June 27, Confederate 1863, General Early, command- Invasion. ing 9,000 men at Gettysburg, sent Lieutenant Colonel White with his battalion of cavalry, about 240 men, toward Hanover. They remained a short time in that borough and then passed to- ward Jefferson, arriving here in the after- Carl, Craumer, Brickley, Rudisill, Jones, J. . noon. Halting for a short time, Colonel C. Nicholas, Kohr, Heberly, Eichinger.

Green Mount United Brethren Church was built about 1896.

Fairs.

White and his men moved to Hanover Junc- tion, where they destroyed railroad bridges at that place so as to prevent communica- tion between Harrisburg and Washington, while General Early was marching toward York through East Berlin. After Colonel White had completed the object of his mis- sion at Hanover Junction, he returned to Jefferson, where he was met by a Confed- erate courier with orders to move north and join a part of Early's division, encamped for the night at Farmers Postoffice, Para-

The fairs held in Jefferson were lively and interesting occasions for the surrounding populace for miles distant. Tables, on which were offered for sale candies, cakes, jewelry and many other articles, including strong drinks, lined the streets for two days of each year, during the early summer. Hundreds of people vis- ited the village, and it was a season of great hilarity. Michael Miller's hotel was a cen- dise Township. After leaving Jefferson

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JEFFERSON

Colonel White and his men halted at the ernment. About 100 fine horses were cap- railroad station half a mile to the north. tured in Jefferson and immediate vicinity. Many of these animals were killed in the battle of Gettysburg. They knocked in the heads of two barrels of whiskey belonging to Jacob Rebert and set fire to a car load of tan bark owned by Henry Rebert and then passed toward Spring Grove and encamped on the night of June 27 on the Wiest farm, near Nash- ville, joining Early's command on the move- ment to York on Sunday morning, June 28.

At 6 o'clock in the evening of June 30 Stuart's cavalry began to enter Jefferson, coming from Hanover. This body of mounted soldiers was followed by a train of 125 army wagons. On the afternoon of June 30, Stuart had engaged Kilpatrick's cavalry at Hanover, and was defeated. Be- ing followed by a squadron of Union cavalry just before nightfall, Stuart planted his can- non on the hillsides around Jefferson, ex- pecting another engagement with Kilpat- rick at any hour. Guards were placed all around the town and no one permitted to leave it. It required two hours for the entire force of nearly 6,000 Confederates to pass and while they occupied the town of Jefferson, the behavior of the soldiers was not in keeping wtih their conduct elsewhere in the county. Many of them were tired and hungry from the exhaustive march. They demanded all the food that could be obtained, stopped several market wagons and robbed them, and even went to the bee- hives and took the honey, and ransacked the stores of William Crist, Albert Kraft and Jacob Rebert. The last of the Confederate force passed through the village about 3 A. M. Wednesday.

General Stuart, with his entire command moved on toward Hanover Junction and from thence to York New Salem. When he arrived at that place, he heard that Early had fallen back from York toward Gettys- burg or Carlisle, and he proceeded to Dover. From thence he went to Dillsburg and fi- nally to Carlisle where he first heard that the battle of Gettysburg was raging. He arrived at Lee's headquarters on the bat- tlefield on the evening of the second day of the great conflict, too late to be of effi- cient service to his commander-in-chief. Stuart's movement through York County after his defeat at Hanover seemed to have been a necessity in order to protect the large wagon trains he had captured. But this movement will pass into history as a mili- tary blunder.

About 10 o'clock on the night of Council June 30, there was an important of War. conference held in the residence of John E. Ziegler, a farmer who then resided near Hanover Junction, be- tween General Stuart and his three brigade commanders, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and John R. Chambliss. At this time on the march Stuart did not know the position of his enemy. Neither John E. Ziegler nor any of the farmers knew whether the Confeder- ate or the Union troops occupied York or what was the condition of affairs between York and Gettysburg. Scouts had been sent out by Stuart, but they had not yet re- turned. Stuart for two days had been cut

While on the march from Hanover to Jef- off from communication with Lee's army, ferson and toward York, scouting parties at this time concentrated at Gettysburg. And so this conference ended by Stuart ordering the march to continue northward, believing if the opposing armies were not being mobilized for a great battle in the level plains west of York they must be in the Cumberland Valley, and he decided to go to Carlisle, where one division of his cavalry command was then serving under were sent out in all directions in search of farm horses, which they took without pay, usually leaving in exchange an old worn out nag. Many of the farmers of Codorus and adjoining townships had kept their horses at home. They had been deceived by a se- cret order which claimed that the Confed- erate soldiers would not press the horses into service if a member of this order would Ewell. make a sign which the soldiers recog- When General Meade took com- nized. But the soldiers laughed at the sign Gregg's Cavalry. mac on June 28, at Frederick, Maryland, he sent General Sedg- mand of the Army of the Poto- because they knew nothing about it or the secret order which claimed to have been in communication with the Confederate gov- wick, with the Sixth corps toward Manches-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ter, Maryland, to command the extreme till 2 A. M., awaiting orders. They reached right of his army. At the same time Gen- the battlefield at Gettysburg on July 2. eral Pleasanton, commanding the Federal The facts embodied in this story were cavalry corps, detached General Gregg's di- given to the writer in 1905 by General vision of 4,000 men and sent it in advance Gregg, the distinguished soldier, who was then residing at Reading, Pennsylvania. of the Sixth corps to prevent the enemy from dashing toward Baltimore. Gregg crossed Codorus Township from Manches- LEWISBERRY. ter, in the early morning of July I, passing Stick's Tavern toward Hanover Junction.

He had received orders at Manchester, to proceed to Hanover Junction and when he arrived there to move toward York or Baltimore as emergency might demand. He went to Hanover Junction and while there received orders through a despatch bearer from General Pleasanton, with headquarters near Littlestown, to fall back at once toward Hanover and Gettys- burg, as the great battle had already opened. This despatch was received early in the evening of July I, when the commanding officer ordered his troops to countermarch. They dashed away on a gallop arriving in Jefferson about 10 P. M. The moon was shining brightly and this long column of mounted men moved with regularity and precision through the town. It was an im- pressive sight for the villagers to watch the moving troops. The rattle of the canteens the dangling of sabres, the striking of car- bines, the clattering of the horses' feet made strange, wierd sounds never before heard by the sturdy villagers of Jefferson and pos- sibly never to be heard in the same place by any of their descendants. These were vet- eran soldiers who had fought in many bat- tles in Virginia and elsewhere. They were ligious services at the Friends' Meeting now moving toward Gettysburg, where two days later General Gregg fought with the enemy, one of the hardest hand-to-hand con- tests of the entire Civil War.

The Borough of Lewisberry lies in the centre of the Redland Valley, fifteen miles from York, eighteen miles from Carlisle and ten miles from Harrisburg. The valley which surrounds it is a rich agricultural re- gion, upon which the earliest Quaker settle- ments were made west of the Susquehanna. The first settlers of this region were Ellis Lewis, Joseph Bennett, John Heald, John Hall and a few others. They came here as early as 1734 and obtained warrants for fertile lands along a winding stream, since known as Bennett Run. When these Quakers en- tered the Redland Valley it was still occu- pied by Indians, with whom they remained on peaceful terms. Not long after the first settlers arrived they were followed by other English-speaking people, among whom were the Kirks, Rankins, Huttons, Garret- sons, Nebingers, Eppleys, Starrs, Fosters, Clines, Stromingers, Moores, Frankelber- gers, Suttons, Wickershams, Prowells, Mil- lers, Hammonds and others.

The language of this community has al- ways been English. A few early inhabi- tants belonged to the Episcopal Church, but most of them were believers in the re- ligious principles of George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends. They attended re- House on the present site of Newberry- town. This meeting house was the place where the Quakers of Newberry and Fair- view Townships worshipped for a period of seventy years, until 1811 when another meeting house was built in the lower end of Redland Valley, midway between Lewis- berry and Newberrytown.

As they entered Jefferson the advance be- gan the sacred song, "Dear Father, will You Meet Us." It was doubtless started by some soldier who had often joined in singing the same song in church or Sunday Eli Lewis was born in the valley in 1750. He was a son of Ellis Lewis and his wife, Hannah Jones. Just before the Revolution when Eli Lewis reached his manhood, he opened a store on the present site of the borough, which has been named in his honor. During the war for independence School at home. When the chorus was reached it passed along almost the entire line. The refrain to this touching song was quite impressive. The rear guard then in response sang, " We Will Meet You In The Promised Land." Patriotic airs were sung on the way to Hanover where General he joined the patriot army and rose to the Gregg and his men halted from midnight rank of major in the Pennsylvania Militia

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LEWISBERRY

service. After the war had ended he con- this line attracted the trade. Lewisberry tinued his mercantile business, and his store was the centre of interest to the Redland Valley, as well as to a large extent of coun- try round about. In 1783 he owned 850 acres of land, six dwelling houses and con- ducted a store. The valuation of his prop- erty was 1,800 pounds sterling, or about $9,000.

Town

In 1798 Major Eli Lewis obtained the services of Isaac Kirk, who sur-

Laid veyed about twelve acres of the liam Nichols, Elijah Garretson, Lewis Mer-

Out. . Lewis land and laid this tract out into lots for the purpose of building a town. The streets running east and west were Front, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth. Market Street extended north and south through the centre of the plat, and the two streets running parallel with Mar- ket were named North and South. The six houses belonging to Major Lewis at this time were included in the plan of the town. A number of lots were immediately sold and some of the first purchasers were Jacob Kirk, Isaac Kirk, Nicholas, Mateer, Sheafer and Bennett. Several houses were immedi- ately built. Major Lewis, founder of the town, was a man of literary attainments. From 1790 to 1798 he lived at Harrisburg where he learned the trade of a printer. In 1791 he established the "Advertiser," the first paper printed at Harrisburg. He con- tinued the publication of this journal for a few years and then sold it to John Wyeth, who changed the name to the "Oracle of Dauphin." In 1791 Major Lewis wrote and published "St. Clair's Defeat," a poem of considerable literary merit, describing the defeat of General St. Clair, who commanded an expedition against the Indians in Ohio business for many years.

during Washington's first administration. After he sold his paper Major Lewis re- turned to his home at Lewisberry, where he died Sunday morning, February 2, 1807, at the age of fifty-seven years.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 158

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1372

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372