History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 171

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

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958

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The cigar making industry has been the S. Bear, was purchased by Mr. Cline. . On chief employment in Strinestown for more land owned by H. B. Strine, three-quarters than half a century. In early days there of a mile northwest of Strinestown, is the were many small factories, and within re- spot of one of the first industries of this sec- cent years larger ones have been erected, tion. It was an old mill in 1820, and was used in grinding grain. A fulling-mill and carding-mill was attached to it. John Ellis, in 1850, was the last owner, when it was employing many workmen. This industry has added thrift and prosperity to the vil- lage.

Mt. Pleasant Chapel was built in 1872 at torn away.

a cost of $1,500. The building committee On the road leading from Quickel's were Barnhart Zorger, Daniel Worley and Church to Lewisberry once stood a tannery. John Krafft. It was dedicated by Rev. Wil- liam Cramer as a union chapel, and all or- thodox religious denominations are allowed to worship in it. In recent years it has been used by the United Brethren in Christ, and also by the German Baptists. The Strines- town Union Sunday School meets in this building. The business was carried on by Martin Co- penhafer. Basket-making has been an im- portant industry carried on by many inhab- itants along the Conewago Hills. John Steffee, for many years conducted a pottery from native clay. After the father retired, the two sons continued the business, Ga- briel near the "Seven Stars Hotel," and Adam near Strinestown.

Zion's View in the southern part of the township near Quickel's Church is a pros- perous hamlet that has grown up within re- cent years. The cigar making industry is carried on here to considerable extent. The village is surrounded by rich agricultural lands.

A thrilling and fatal. accident occurred along the Conewago near the mouth of Ben- nett's Run. It was during the time of the early settlement, and according to tradition was as follows : A man named Sipe went out to hunt wild turkeys and had a tame turkey on his back. He used a turkey bone as a ' whistle to call the game and the turkey on his back would answer. This was done in order to attract the wild turkeys to him that he might shoot them. .He was thus crawling on his hands and knees, when an- other hunter who saw only the turkey on his back and not the man, through the dense thicket, fired at his supposed game. The ball passed through the man's neck and killed him.

The fertile and alluvial flats Indian along the Conewago Creek Implements. were favorite resorts of the red men, especially parts of the tribes of the Conewagoes, Conoys and Shawanese, who were numerous near the mouth of the streams and on the opposite side of the Susquehanna. In company with the late George Ensminger the writer found evident traces of an Indian burying ground near Green Spring. Along the Conewago, Indian pipes, scalping knives, tomahawks, Ann Plow, an eccentric individual, who spear points and arrow heads were discov- before 1812 lived north of Newberry, was ered. On the land of Barnhart Zorger, accustomed to place iron bars over the top near Strinestown, perfect arrow heads were of the chimney of her house in order to keep witches out. found and close by were piles of spauls of dolerite, the same kind of stone as the arrow Militia parades were held near the west end of the township on land later owned by John N. Bull, and Colonel Stover had more than local fame as a commander. He was heads, showing that here they made arrows from the rough stone. This was the site of an Indian village.

John Garrettson, in 1742, succeeded by Colonel Bear.

Interesting Notes.

built the first mill along the Conewago, possibly on the Newberry side of the stream.

During the Confederate invasion of 1863, a scouting party of Stuart's cavalry entered the west end of Conewago Township, cap- He was one of the early Quaker settlers, and tured a number of horses from the farmers, and obtained coffee, sugar and some wear-

owned the rich alluvial lands on the north side of the creek immediately below the ing apparel at a store then kept by Eli S. bridge near Strinestown. The large mill, Quickel. north of Strinestown, once owned by Henry There are veins of valuable sandstone in

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this township. The stones used in the front for its enchanting beauty. The panorama of the York jail in 1855, were obtained in unfolds to the eye large portions of the Conewago. Henry Kochenour had the counties of York, Lancaster and Adams. contract to furnish them.

Dover Township is drained by the Great ary, and the Little Conewago, which crosses its southeastern part.

Henry Kochenour in 1825, assisted in Conewago which forms its northern bound- killing the last wolf that lived in the Cone- wago Hills. Deer and wild turkeys were seen much later, foxes and raccoons are still plentiful. Township

This township was organized Formed. Near the southern base of the Conewago Hills, there issues forth in all its crystal beauty a constant stream of water, which has long been known as "Green Spring." Just as the snow and frost of winter disap- pear, there is a dense growth of grass under the authority of the Lan- caster County court in 1747. Its exact limits were not then well-defined but it seems to have included a part of the present area of Washington Township. Dover also included the west- ern two-thirds of Conewago Township around the spring, which gave this spot its which was formed out of Newberry and interesting name. In early times it was a Dover in the year 1818.

favorite resort for the timid deer and the voracious wolf, which harbored in the ad- joining hills. Nearly all the original settlers in the township of Dover came directly from the Palatinate country along the Rhine in Ger- Near this spring, in a public school house, a union Sunday School has long since flour- ished. It was superintended several years by A. W. Ensminger, who was accidentally drowned in the Conewago. many. Many of them settled in colonies while others migrated across the Susque- hanna from the eastern counties of Penn- sylvania. Some of these early settlers be- longed to the German Baptist Church, but Samuel Fettrow was an eccentric though intelligent individual, and for many years lived alone in the Conewago Hills. He was born in Fairview Township, and was a most of them were Lutheran and Reformed. These early Germans brought with them the customs of the Fatherland, also the church and the school. For nearly three- descendant of Holland ancestry. He claimed fourths of a century the training in the pa- rochial and private schools of this township, was given in the German language.

to be a doctor, lawyer and surveyor, and had an office on the summit of the mountain. He always wore a white crowned high silk hat, light colored suit, and was never without an umbrella. His own burial casket he made himself, long before his death. The limestone pyramid at the head of his grave, in the burying ground adjoin- ing Rohler's meeting-house, was made by his own hands.

DOVER TOWNSHIP.

Most of the land of the township

Fruit is fertile, producing abundant and crops. Part of the area of Dover Berries. Township is red shale and the balance is sandy loam. There is a small outcrop of limestone in the south- western corner of the township. Corn, wheat and potatoes are the main products except in the northern part, where peaches are cultivated in several large orchards.

The form of Dover Township is irregular, Milton Betz of this township has raised with the southwestern boundary as a base resting upon Jackson and Paradise, Wash- ington and Warrington to the west and north, and Conewago, Manchester and peaches in large quantities. Since 1880, strawberry raising has been an important industry in the northern part of the town- ship. In 1884 Jesse Crone raised 7,700 boxes West Manchester to the east. The Cone- on two acres, which were disposed of at seven and a half cents a box. Henry Wilt. of Conewago, raised 2,500 boxes; Henry Fahs, of Dover, 1,300 boxes ; Joseph Boring of Newberry, 8,000 boxes on four acres of

wago Hills begin in the western part of the township, and extend in a northeasterly di- rection to York Haven. From the first ridge of the Conewago Hills, near Mount Royal, along the public road to Rossville, land. The Ball Hill country, mostly lying the observer is afforded a landscape view to in Newberry Township but adjoining Cone- the south, east and west almost unrivaled wago and Dover, is noted for the raising of

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

small fruits and peaches. The land here is hart's, Rupert's, Stough's, Hoover's, Shef- a pure red shale, and generally slopes to the fer's, Roler's, Mt. Royal, Harmony Grove, south, absorbing warm rays of sunlight Marsh's, Trimmer's. during the early springtime. By proper cultivation the strawberry crop on this land yields luscious fruit abundantly.

The sandstone, for the trimming of the Harrisburg Court House, was quarried in Dover Township by Philip S. Crone. Fur- nace stones containing sixty cubic feet were also obtained near the base of the Cone- Church. wago Hills. A quarry was opened on the Drawbaugh farm in 1884.

The population of Dover Population. Township in 1820 was 1,816; in 1830, 1,874; in 1840, 1,920; in 1850, 1,918; 1860, 2,258; 1870, 2,281; 1880, 2,378; 1890, 2,349; in 1900, 2,313.

The present public school sys- Schools. tem, under act of 1834, was not accepted in Dover Township until the passage of the act of 1848, which recog- nized all school districts in the state as hav- ing accepted the system, and during the winter of 1849-50, the great contest arose in this township to introduce the "free schools." John Sharp, Peter Stough, Peter Boyer, Jacob Emig, George Beck, and Samuel Meisenhelder, composed the first board of directors. Schools had been regu- larly kept up before this time, under the supervision of two directors. Andrew Dins- more, in the fall of 1849, held the first ex- amination.

After the acceptance of the public school Jacob Kimmel, Jacob Lambert, system in 1848, private and parochial George Spaar, Henry Rahauser, schools were discontinued. The children of The first building of logs stood in the old graveyard, west of the present church. The land upon which it was built was purchased from "die ecke," the corners of the plantations of Peter Streher, Jacob Lenhart and Jacob Upp. George Spaar and Peter Streher were first elders; Hans Adam this township for many years labored under a disadvantage. They spoke the German language at home and on the playground but were taught entirely from English books. It is not easy to understand how good results could be accomplished by teachers who had to undergo such difficul- Bartmess and Nicholas Hoffman, trustees ; ties ; yet by persistent effort, it can be said, Carl Albert, Wendell Gross and Matthew to the credit of the teachers of Dover Town- Swartz, deacons. Some of the articles for sacramental service and for other purposes in 1767, were one black altar cloth, bought by congregation, cost three pounds, En- glish currency; one round altar table, two white cloths for communion, presented by Henry Shetrone; three towels, one bought from Philip Jacob Julius, by Widow Ra- hauser ; one pewter baptismal font, 15s; one

John Sharp served thirty-two years as a school director for Dover Township. He was a son of Captain George Sharp, who was killed in 1814, by being thrown from a horse near Weiglestown.

On a slightly elevated spot about

Salem three-fourths of a mile southwest of the borough of Dover, stands Salem, familiarly known as Stray- er's Church. Here for 150 years the in- habitants of this fertile country have met in solemn worship. The present building is the third that has been erected since the formation of the congregation. This church stands in the centre of Dover Township. The first German settlers took up the sur- rounding lands about 1736. On the 30th of May, 1757, the following twenty-eight members of the German Lutheran and Ger- man Reformed denominations entered into an agreement for the purpose of founding a church .:

Peter Streher,

Hans George Stauch,

Jacob Hoffman, Dietrich Danner,

Martin Reisinger, Valentine Flohr,

George Kochener, Christopher Kobler,

George Kann, Leonard Shetrone,

Nicholas Hermann, John Zinn,

Hans Adam Bartmess,

Henry Shetrone,

Joseph Klepper, George Harbold,

Philip Jacobs,

Jacob Bupp,

Michael Spaar, Andrew Gross,

Jacob Kirstler, Barnhart Mueller,

Jacob Meyer, Michael Bunslob,

ship during the last thirty years that the improvement shown in public schools of this district has been encouraging. There are now within the limits of the township, sixteen schools, containing modern im- provements and large playgrounds around the school houses. The names of these schools are as follows: Ramer's, Davids- burg, Julius', Emig's, Weiglestown, Len- great can and cup for communion, one box

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of wafers, one small plate and two pewter cept three before growing to manhood and plates and one bell.

A "klingel beutel" is a small bag fixed to the end of a pole to be passed along the pews to take up the collection. The old custom of taking up a collection by two of the "vor stehers" standing at the door and holding in their hands a receptacle for the contributions of the congregation as they passed out of the church, was super- seded by this "klingel beutel" or "klingel seckly" as the Pennsylvania German called it. It received this name from the fact that the dropping of the coin into it would cause them to clink.

Lutheran missionaries conducted services in the locality at an early period, among them Schaum and Raus of York, Candler and Bager, of Hanover, and Rev. Jacob Lischy, the German Reformed missionary.

In 1763, Lucas Raus organized the Lu- theran congregation, and Jacob Lischy, the Reformed, with the above named elders and deacons. The original Lutheran church book was written in German, from which much of the information herein given was found .. The title page of this book contains the following inscription in German:

"Church book of the Evangelical Lu- theran Congregation in Dover township over the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, was bought in 1763 by me, Lucas Raus."

The genealogy of some of the first mem- bers is here given. The asterisk designates the names of those who died in childhood.

womanhood.

John Adam Diehl, born along the river Moselle, Germany, in 1734, came to Amer- ica with his parents in 1739, married Mag- dalena Burghart, 1760, she was born 1740. Their children were John Nicholas and Anna Maria.

Matthias Hartman, born in Frederick Tal, in Hohenlohe, Germany, 1718; came to America 1749; married Anna Catherine Horch in 1750; children were Maria Doro- thea, Catrina and Elizabeth.

George Spaar, born in Altenberg, three hours from Tuebingen, in Germany, on the IIth of December, 1699; married in 1724 to Mary Catrina Kauffman who was born in 1703. He immigrated to America in 1740. Their children were John Frederick, Anna Maria*, Maria Barbara*, Eva Margaretta, Sophia Margaretta*, Susan Maria, Maria Catrina*, John George, John Casper*, John*, John George*, John Casper, John, Philip, Adam.

Martin Reisinger, born in Heyebronn, Germany, in 1722, came with his father to America in 1737; married in 1747 to Anna Magdalena, daughter of Lorentz Bingmann. They had nine children: John, Barbara, John Martin, John Conrad, Mary Magda- lena, Mary Margaret, Catherine, Anna Eliz- abeth, Anna Maria.

John George Stauch, born in 1717, in Beublingen, Kingdom of Wurtemburg, Ger- many, married Anna Margaretta Deish in 1744, immigrated to America and came to Dover Township in 1752. The ship called "Brothers", set sail from Rotterdam in Hol- land, from which city nearly all the German emigrants embarked, especially the Pala- tines. His children by his first wife were Maria Jacobina, Maria Barbara*, John George*, John George. These children were born in the Fatherland. He brought with him three children then living, and one year after their arrival, married Maria Cat- rina Winegarten, by whom he had four children, namely: John Leonard, John An- drew, John George and John Jacob.

John Peter Streher was born in the Prov- ince of Starkenburg, county of Sponheim, June 22, 1718. He was married in 1751, on his birthday, to Anna Barbara Burghart, widow of John Nicholas Hantz. The last named died in 1737, leaving four children, John Andreas, Anna Elizabeth, Mary Mar- garetta, Catrina Elizabeth* and Maria Cat- rina. Peter Streher and his family came to America in 1740. He became the teacher and was empowered with certain privileges to conduct religious services in the Salem church, in the absence of the regular clergy- man. His first wife died in 1764, and he married Jacobina Stouch, in 1766. His Gotfried Stauch, born in Germany, 1724, married in 1751 to Anna Maria Dartl, came with his brother to America in 1752, al- children by the second marriage were John Nicolaus, John Matthias, Anna Catherine, John Peter, John Nicholaus, Catherine though he did not sail in the same vessel Elizabeth, John Jacob and John Peter. Ac- with his brother. It was the ship "Presi- cording to record these children all died ex- dent", commanded by Captain Donlap. He

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

had one child by his first marriage, John formed congregation, do convey unto them George. This boy while yet an infant, and and their successors forever in trust for said his mother died at sea on their way to church congregations, 3 acres of land. America. He was married in Dover Town- The deed of the three acres as a site for a church and burying ground was dated Jan- uary 5, 1765. ship to Charlotte Kessler, on Christmas day, 1754, it being her birthday. They had four children, namely: Elizabeth, John, Philippina, Susanna.

Some of the first births in this congrega- tion recorded were John, son of John and Susanna Lenhardt, born February 18, 1762. Susanna, daughter of Casper and Anna Barbara Danner, born April 8, 1762; John William Grim, born June, 1762. Ten births were recorded for the same year and about twenty each for the following years to 1766. The first death recorded was that of George Frederick Scheatl (Shettle), who died of apoplexy, May 20, 1763, aged fifty years, buried on Whit-Sunday, in the new church yard. The second death was that of a child of John Peter Streher, July 5, 1763, aged five years. George Adam Diehl and Chris- tine Spangler were married May 30, 1758, the first marriage on record. Matthew Mayer (widower) and Christine Dorothea Mueller were married November 19, 1758.

The first confirmation services were held November 7, 1762. The persons confirmed were George Adam . Oberdier, seventeen years old; Susanna Oberdier, fifteen years; Margaret Gensart, Mary Barbara Gensart and Catrina Burgart. On Ascension day, 1765, there were twenty-eight persons con- firmed, most of them children, and new set- tlers. April 13, 1766, there were twenty- two confirmations; many of them from "Peter Wolf's church in Manchester Town- ship." April 26, 1767, there were thirty-six confirmations. Confirmation services were held once every two years. John Peter Sparr and Andreas Gross, young men, were confirmed in 1767.

I, Peter Streher, of Dover Township, in the county of York, and Province of Penn-

Upon the death of Peter Streher, his two sons, who inherited the property, had the church land surveyed, and in accordance with letters patent on May 8, 1797, executed another deed in trust for the same tract of land to John Overdier and Jacob Stouch, trustees of the Lutheran congregation, Peter Upp and Jacob Lauer, trustees of the Reformed congregation. The sec- ond indenture was made in order to make the title to the church property good after the surrounding land was patented.

A charter of incorporation was granted to the two denominations that worship in Salem church, of May 29, 1824. The per- sons named in the charter were: Peter Streher, Frederick Stouch, Peter Lecron, John Shefer, elders; Nicholas Hoffman and John Hantz, wardens of the Lutheran congregation; John Lauer, Jacob Zinn, Christian Hamm, William Caldwell, elders ; Jacob March and Jacob Kann, wardens of the Reformed congregations.

The pastors of the Lutheran congrega- tion were: Lucas Raus from organization to 1776; Jacob Goehring from 1776-1783; Nicholas Kurtz and John Groop; A. G. Deininger, for fifty-two years consecutively until his death in 1880, aged eighty-five years; Daniel Sell, Chas. W. Baker, J. C. Mumma, J. M. Deitzler and A. C. Fast- nacht.

The Reformed congregation as nearly as can be determined, was served by pastors Vandersloot, Charles Helfenstein, Daniel Zeigler, D. D. for twenty-seven years ; Jacob Kehm, four years; Jacob Zeigler, eight

The following is a copy of a legal record: years; I. S. Weisz, D. D. and O. P. Schell- hamer.

Jacob Fink died in Dover in 1882, aged

sylvania, farmer, in consideration of the es- ninety-two years; he and his wife Elizabeth teem and affection I bear toward the had been married sixty-seven years at the German Lutheran and German Reformed time of his death. Near the centre of the Congregations of said township, for the sum of five shillings paid by George Stouch and Adam Bartmess, trustees and representatives of the Lutheran congre- gation, Jacob May and Jacob Meyer, trus- tees and representatives of the German Re- burying ground adjoining the Dover Church, rest the remains of John G. Quickel, who died November 7, 1870, aged one hundred years. In this graveyard two acres in area, there were about 3,000 inter- ments from 1763 to 1883. A cemetery was

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laid off by Dr. Lenhart, a short distance trustees, on which land was to be built a southeast of the church. The first inter- new school house and Union Meeting ment was the remains of Elizabeth Neiman, House for any that preach the gospel." who died September 6, 1870. There are About 1760 a small settlement of now many fine monuments in this cemetery. Church. Daniel Hamme, who died in 1874, aged ninety-five years, was here interred.

Baptist Baptists located along the banks of the Conewago, in the north- east corner of Dover, northwest

On the 10th of May, 1825, corner of Conewago and southern part of Mennonite Churches. Joseph Hershey, as trustees for the Mennonite congrega- tion of Dover Township purchased of John Brubaker for $1, eight perches of land on which to build a meeting house. The land was deeded to the above named persons in trust, and "to their successors forever who may be appointed by a majority of the mem- bers of said congregation after the death or resignation of said trustees." The land lay along the road leading then from Jacob Frick's mill to Philip Smyser's mill. This church now belongs to the Codorus charge, which includes a church in Washington and one in Codorus. Daniel Bare and Abraham John Lethra, Henry Sipe and Warrington townships. In the midst of their settlement they erected a small house of worship, which was named the "Dover Baptist Church." Among its first members were Moses Davis, Susanna Davis, Anna Davis, William Smith, Phoebe Hawk, Wil- liam Laird, Catharine Laird and Anne Bear. Later a number of families by the name of Kunkel, Spangler and Gray were added to the congregation. An organization was formed about 1804. The congregation had a regular pastor for a term of four years, and for nearly half a century later was occa- sionally visited by different clergymen. The membership at one time increased to fifty, under the Rev. Henry Essick, who came Roth were among the early preachers of there from Delaware County in 1842. On this congregation, organized in 1753. Other this site now stands Rohler's Church. The ministers were Josiah Hershey, Benjamin Dover Baptist Church, as an organization, Hershey, John Frantz, Isaac Kauffman, S. ceased to exist, soon after the pastorate of L. Roth, Jacob Hershey and Theodore B. Rev. Henry Essick ended.

Forry. This congregation has recently

Harmony Grove Union Church near built a fine stone meeting house and the Emig's Mill has been used by the Lutheran membership has been increased under the and United Brethren denominations. The preaching of Rev. Jacob Hershey and Rev. frame church building was erected about Theodore B. Forry. Some of the members 1870. come from the western part of Washington Township near Hall Postoffice.

A Mennonite church stands in the south- western part of Dover Township near the built in 1858. village of Admire. Reuben S. Bair is the preacher. The congregation numbers about fifty members and owns a neat and comfortable house of worship.

A United Brethren Church is located on the Bull Road, in Dover Township, near the boundary line with Conewago. It was

Davidsburg, in the western

Davidsburg. end of Dover Township has been an interesting village for more than three-fourths of a century. It is situated along the Shippensburg road which was a noted route of travel from

Church. ship. It was built in 1870 of York to the Cumberland Valley in colonial sandstone at a cost of $800, and times. It was also used in the early days was dedicated by Revs. Raber, Craumer and of wagoning when the farm products of York County were hauled to Baltimore for

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 171

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