History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 175

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

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Heidelberg is crossed by the Western horse-power engine was used. The ore was Maryland and Frederick Division of the obtained from a mine eighty-five feet deep. Northern Central Railways. Smith's Sta- This property is now owned by the Hano- tion and Porter's Siding, stopping places ver Water Company.

along the Western Maryland Railroad, are now interesting hamlets, and each has a Samuel H. Bechtel opened a bank in 1864, adjoining the Haldeman Bank. The land postoffice. The latter place was named in was first owned by George Sprenkle. Three perpendicular shafts were put down. The ore obtained was forty per cent iron.

honor of ex-Governor Porter, who shipped large quantities of iron ore from this station, soon after the road was built, from banks Forty men were at one time employed here. that he leased in this township.

Dr. L. H. Sterner practices medicine here.

The Reformed Church at Smith's Station was erected in 1872 as a Union Church. It was used by the Methodist, Lutheran and clay. Reformed people for a number of years. Rev. J. H. Hartman of Hanover is pastor of the Reformed congregation worshipping here.

Zion's Evangelical Church at Porter's

They are important points for the shipment of iron ore.

Heidelberg contains valuable Iron Ore. and extensive deposits of iron ore. The discovery of it was made by Peter Dicks, who started Spring Forge in 1755. Most of the ore smelted at Mary Ann Furnace, built in Manheim Township in 1761, was obtained in Heidel- berg.

In 1840 ex-Governor Porter leased sev- eral tracts in this township and began to take out and ship ore in large quantities.

The Haldeman Bank in the northeastern part of the township, was opened by J. Dut- tenhoeffer, in 1860. and passed into the hands of the Chiques Iron Company in 1873. It contained a valuable deposit and an area of five acres had been excavated. About 45,000 tons of brown hematite ore were taken out from 1870 to 1885. A thirty

It continued in operation for a dozen years, and several thousand tons of ore were ob- tained. In 1871, a bank was opened a short distance east of this one, containing a good quality of brown hematite, lying in yellow

Moul's Bank, Forry's Bank, near Smith's Station; Stambach's Bank, Meckley's Bank, Sprenkle's Bank on the farm of Henry L. Bowman, and others yielded large quanti- ties of ore. Bollinger's Bank four and a half

982

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

miles southeast of Hanover, for many years house and meeting house, and locate a place was one of the most important in this to bury the dead, and for the use of the county. It was leased and operated by the German Lutherans and German Reformed Leesport Iron Company, of Berks County. From Jesse Moul's Bank, for a time, 400 tons of specular ore per month were ob- tained. The Ashland Iron Company, Lees- port Iron Company and the Chiques Iron Company leased and operated a number of banks in this township.

Calvinists, who may join in erecting a school house thereon, and supporting a school master, and also for a place of burial for their dead." They then released unto Adam Eichelberger the right of being a trustee for the Lutheran and Reformed con- gregations and for a school building, but "reserving and retaining for themselves en- tire use and their successors forever, a house of worship to be erected on some part of said land when said Mennonite congrega- tion may see fit to erect one." The first building erected for a school house and religious purposes stood more than half a century until the present church was built. The congregation that worships in Bair's

On the York road, about three Mennonite Churches. miles east of Hanover, stands the Mennonite Church, known as "Bair's Meeting House." The land upon which it and the adjoining public school house are built, was granted to Michael Danner, in trust for the Men- nonite congregation, August 8, 1774, by John and Thomas Penn, sons of William Penn, who were then the Proprietors of Meeting House is connected with the Han- Pennsylvania. Michael Danner or Tanner over Church and Hostetter's Church in was a prominent man of his day, and, in 1749, was one of the commissioners ap- pointed to lay off York County. The reli-

Adams County. The three meetings form one organization. Samuel Myers, Jacob Hostetter and Martin Whistler : were gious services of the Society of Mennonites preachers of note during the latter part of last century.

for many years were held in the houses of members, but for the purpose of erecting a Garber's Mennonite Church is situated on the hillside in Heidelberg Township near Menges Mills. A log church was built at that place about 1750. There was a large Mennonite settlement in this vicinity and in the region toward Hanover and in Codorus Township. A frame church succeeded the log building and was used as a house of wor- ship more than half a century. Within re- cent years a brick church has been erected in which services are regularly held and at- tended by a congregation of nearly one hun- dred members. building, for a school and for religious wor- ship, a tripartite indenture and agreement was made May 14, 1775, between the "said Michael Danner, Sr., then of the town of Hanover on the first part, John Shenck, of Manheim and Jacob Keagy of Heidelberg. ministers, of the Mennonites, John Welty and James Miller, both of Manheim (now Heidelberg), elders of the Mennonite con- gregation of the second part, and Adam Eichelberger of the third part," concerning the disposition of the above mentioned land, which was named "Danner's Repository," Mt. Carmel Evangelical Lu- theran Church was organized Church. in 1877 at Moulstown. It and when granted adjoined lands of Mi- Mt. Carmel chael Newman, Andrew Shenck and Adam Eichelberger, and contained twelve acres. owes its existence to a Sun- The grant to Michael Danner was given "in day School which from 1875 to 1879 held trust to and for the only proper use of the its sessions in a school house and during Mennonites, their heirs and successors for- the latter year a chapel was built for Sun- day School purposes and. religious services. The building was called Mt. Carmel Sunday School Chapel. The trustees of this build- ing permitted the Lutherans of the com- munity to meet in the chapel until their or-

ever." The consideration was six pounds in Pennsylvania currency paid to Michael Danner, who had held the land "in trust for the Mennonite congregation in Manheim and the adjacent section of that religious society or denomination.

It was agreed ganization into a congregation in 1887.

upon by the heads of the said congregation, . The Lutherans continued to worship here "to hold equally and in common, and for until 1906, when a beautiful church was the use of said congregation erect a school erected and dedicated. The congregation

983

HELLAM

which has been under the pastoral care of were Rev. Charles T. Stearn, D. D., presi- Rev. J. A. Metzgar since its organization, dent; Rev. J. C. Smith, D. W. Crider and in 1907, had 135 members.

D. G. May, vice-presidents; Rev. J. R. J. H. Moul has been superintendent of the Hutchison, secretary; Col. J. A. Stahle, Sunday School for the past twenty-five years. treasurer. The board of directors were as On the hillside west of Menges Mills, on follows: Rev. A. H. Rice, John Bentzel, H. the night of May 26, 1781, General Anthony M. Everhart, John Shepp, Rev. J. H. Wayne with his three regiments of the Young, Charles Lafean and Henry Resser, Pennsylvania Line encamped for the night. together with the officers. The present of- He was then on his way south to join the ficers are: Rev. Charles T. Stearn, D. D., army under Lafayette. Wayne and his men president; Rev. E. H. Hummelbaugh, Rev. were present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. An account of this march will be given on page 216. J. P. Anthony and J. C. Heckert, vice-presi- dents; Rev. J. R. Hutchison, secretary, George A. Wolf, treasurer. These with the following named persons constitute the present board of directors : Jesse K. Kuntz, J. R. Koontz, J. W. Owen, C. E. Fultz, H.

Andrew Hershey, the founder of the Her- shey family in York County, was one of the first settlers in the vicinity of Menges Mills. A part of his land, originally taken up under D. Musser, A. R. Ayres and J. R. Hutchi- a Maryland grant in 1738, is now owned by son, Jr .. John S. Hershey, a lineal descendant.

HELLAM TOWNSHIP.

The history of Menges Mills and the genealogy of the Manges family will be Though a part of the area of York County found in the second volume of this work. was settled before 1739, it was not until that

Penn Grove is the successor of year the Provincial Assembly of Pennsyl- vania passed a special act which empowered the county court at Lancaster to lay off "that portion of Lancaster County west of the Susquehanna into townships." Under the provisions of this act, in 1739, the town- ship of Hellam, which originally included most of York County and Pennsborough Township, which embraced all of Cumber-

Penn Emigs Grove Campmeeting which Grove. was organized June 7, 1880. Grounds were purchased six miles north of York near Mount Wolf, and taber- nacles, boarding hall and one hundred cot- tages had been built. Meetings were held here annually until August 7, 1896, when the place was destroyed by fire. Soon after the fire Rev. Charles T. Stearn, D. D., presi- land County, were formed without any sur- dent of the association, completed the ar- rangements for the purchase of 28 acres of organized in 1729. The Indian treaty of woodland on the south side of the Western Maryland Railroad, three miles east of Han-

veyed boundaries. Lancaster County was 1736 extended its limits west of the Sus- quehanna, in consequence of which all set- over. In this beautiful grove two taber- tlers on this side of the river, after per- nacles, and two hundred cottages have been erected. The grounds are lighted by elec- tricity and a tank of 20,000 gallons was mits to locate land were granted, were under the authority of the Lancaster court. From 1736 to 1739 Hempfield Township, erected to supply the place with water. The which included the present site of Columbia, dynamo for generating electricity and two had authority west of the river. Charles engines, one to run the dynamo and the Jones, the constable of Hempfield, lived in other to pump water, are owned by the as- sociation.

the present area of Hellam in 1736. Samuel Blunston, an intelligent Quaker, who Ferry, became an agent of the Penns, by whom he was empowered to grant permits

The association is known as Penn Grove located at the eastern terminus of Wright's Assembly. The object of the association is the preaching of the word, Bible study and lectures on Bible themes and moral and for land to settlers who located west of the religious topics and evangelism. The first river. He was born in the township of Upper Hellam, in the county of York, in meeting was held here in 1896, and meet- ings have been regularly held since that England. During the first thirty years of date during the months of July and August. its history, the name was written "Hallam"

The original officers of the association in official records. Eventually the present

984

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

mode of spelling became general and has citizens, and 320 females. The following is since been used. Hellam, Spring Garden, a complete list of taxables for the year Springett, East Manchester, West Man- named:

chester and parts of York, Manchester, Codorus, Windsor and Lower Windsor, lie within the Manor of Springettsbury, de- scribed on page 25.

Gradually new townships were formed, and Hellam was reduced to its present size by the formation of Spring Garden, in 1822, out of the western part of this township and the northern part of York Township.

Hellam is bounded on the

Topography. north and east by the Sus-

quehanna, on the south by Windsor and Lower Windsor, and on the west by Springettsbury and Spring Garden. Extending through the entire northern part of the township is a wooded ridge, known as the Hellam Hills, parts of which furnished timber for charcoal used at the forge, once located at the mouth of the Codorus. A

large part of Hellam is fertile and highly productive. It is crossed by the limestone belt, which enters it from Lancaster County, making the beautiful Kreutz Creek Valley, one of the garden spots of Pennsylvania. Upon these lands the prudent German im- migrant settled, and soon felled the huge trees of the forest and began to cultivate the cleared tracts which ever since have been increasing in value. The use of lime as a fertilizer began here as early as 1825.

The winding stream which drains this historic valley, is known as Kreutz Creek, which seems to be a corruption of the Ger- man word "Kreutz" meaning "Cross". It is mentioned in legal documents at the time of the early settlement and for nearly half a century later, as Grist Creek and the valley as Grist Valley, after one of the first En- glish settlers, John Grist or Greist who lo- cated near the head of the stream prior to 1721, together with John Powell and a few others, before the proprietaries of the prov- ince authorized settlements to be made west of the Susquehanna. By the time this town- ship was erected in 1739, the entire valley was thickly settled, mostly by industrious Germans, some of whose descendants now own and occupy these valuable farms.

Hellam

In 1783, there were in Hellam Township 16,037 acres of land not

in vacant, IOI dwelling houses, 86 barns, 8 mills, 7 slaves, 345 male

Anderson & Lowry £100

Andrew Alexander

142

Peter Beidler, 200 acres 506

Widow Beidler, 150 acres, 2 stills.

Jacob Baltzer, 150 acres 533

456

Adam Bahn, 140 acres, I still. 658

John Bahn, 20 acres 25

Sebastian Brown, 12 acres

Craft Billet, 100 acres

II3

Michael Blessing, 150 acres, I still. 210

John Bauman, 75 acres

140

Jacob Burkhardt, 100 acres, I still,

205

Abraham Burchhardt, 300 acres

309

Frederick Baker

George Clopper, ( weaver)

Samuel Crawford

Jacob Comfort, (inn-keeper), 12 acres

Mathias Clopper, 25 acres

Michael Crow, 50 acres

553

Alexander Crow, 150 acres, I still.

548

Henry Cann, 257 acres 669

129

George Catz, 106 acres

162

George Dietz, 230 acres

619

Philip Decker, 193 acres

672 286

Adam Daron, 75 acres

144

George Druck, 30 acres

II9

Joseph Dellinger, 100 acres

I34

Gen. James Ewing, 150 acres

Henry Fisher, 30 acres

Jacob Freese

Philip Fritz, 100 acres

249

John Fox, 51 acres

David Freese, 200 acres

424 453

Isaac Flory, (weaver) 70 acres

224

Abraham Flory, 68 acres

267

Baltzer Fitz, 150 acres, 2 stills

6.45

Martin Gardner, 200 acres, I still 586

William Gallager 20

Philip Gardner, 250 acres, I slave, 2 stills

722

Martin Huber, 190 acres

550

Jacob Heyer

John Hall, 98 acres

George Heibly, blacksmith

Jacob Heibly, 100 acres

164

George Hoyer, 92 acres

150

John Herr, 340 acres

I125

Adam Klein, 100 acres

Widow King, 100 acres

Christian Kunkel, inn-keeper

Henry Kindig, 200 acres, 2 stills 390

Godleib Kunkel, 150 acres

195

Baltzer Kunkel, 150 acres, I still.

215

Jacob Kauffman, 270 acres 504

Samuel Landis, 10 acres 82

Christian Lehman, 150 acres 246

445

Henry Liphart, 168 acres, 2 stills

632

Henry Lanius, 150 acres, I still.

625

Jacob Lanius, 150 acres, I still.

625

Christian Mosser, 80 acres

129

John Mate, 400 acres

334

David Mellinger, 125 acres

160

George Mantel, tanner, 5 acres. 275

1783.

John Myer 20

Michael Miller, 200 acres 58.2

(silverware £7) 908 421 65

George Freese, 200 acres

232

Abraham Coble, 100 acres

Michael Durstein, 75 acres

John Flory, 130 acres

Jacob Flory, weaver, 70 acres 264

Valentine Liphart, 180 acres

Jacob Langenecker, blacksmith

985

HELLAM

John Mate, Jr.

Casper Mate, 100 acres

Ulrich Neucommer, 70 acres

John Nencommer, 130 acres

Daniel Neas, 117 acres, I slave

Christian Nencommer, 80 acres

Ulrich Neucommer, Jr., 80 acres

Christian Rupp, 100 acres

Jost Rieb, 10 acres

Michael Rudy, 170 acres

Philip Rupp

John Reist

Philip Sultzbach, 184 acres

Henry Strickler, 80 acres, I grist-mill, I saw-mill.

Jacob Strickler, Jr., 180 acres

Christian Stoner, 177 acres, 2 saw-mills. 826

John Strickler, 195 acres

John Strickler, 180 acres

James Smith, Esq., 1,000 acres

Henry Strickler, 126 acres

Jacob Shultz, blacksmith, 94 acres, I slave

615 66

Daniel Schneitman, 50 acres

Adam Swope, 50 acres

John Shultz, 200 acres, I saw-mill.

John Shroll, Jr., 150 acres

John Sneider, 100 acres

Christian Shroll, 50 acres

Jacob Statler, 30 acres

Jacob Stentz, 180 acres

George Shallow, inn-keeper, 100 acres

George Shallow, Jr.

Samuel Speiser

Michael Zacharias

20 I39

Philip Thomas, 90 acres

Abraham Demuth, 100 acres

129

Jacob Weltzhoffer, 170 acres

Wolff Wendel

Michael Weiland

Samuel Wright, 400 acres

Jacob Witmer

John Wright, 500 acres, 2 slaves

William Willis

Soloman Williams

John Wyland, 99 acres

235

John Steiner, weaver

William Holtzinger

Simon Holtzinger

Widow Morgan, 200 acres

450

Tikabat Stater

Soloman Williams

James Williams

SINGLE MEN.

Christian Reist, weaver,

John Fitz, weaver,

Michael Durstein,

John Peterman,

Joseph Reed,

John Ewing,

Nicholas Heltzle,

John Strickler, Jr.,

Godleib Rupp,

Casper Wolff,

Jacob Shultz, blacksmith,

Jacob Longenecker,

Henry Bainnie, weaver,

blacksmith, Henry Geip, George Druck.

Codorus Forge.

Creek near its junction with the

Susquehanna River, and in the the famous Chestnut Hill mines in Lancas- extreme northeast corner of Hel- lam Township, is the site of an important iron industry in Pennsylvania. It was va-

riously known as the "Hellam Iron Works," " Hellam Forge," and later as the "Codorus Forge." A forge and furnace

nett, who continued the business until May 21, 1771, when the works fell into the hands of Samuel Edie, sheriff of York County, who sold them to Charles Hamilton and he transferred the property to Hon. James Smith, of York, signer of the Declaration of Independence. James Smith lost by these works about 5000 pounds or $25,000. Of the two managers he employed to run them, and who were the cause of his mis- fortune, he said : " One was a knave and the other a fool." Smith disposed of the works on April 16, 1778, while Congress was in session at York, of which he was a mem- ber, to Thomas Niel, a merchant of York. These works were used during the Revolu- tionary War for casting cannon and can- non balls for the Continental army. In 1793 Thomas Niel owned 1500 acres of woodland, forge and sawmill at an assessed valuation of 2,029 pounds; in 1800 he started a bloomary in connection with the forge and owned 3,275 acres of land valued at $15,875. About this time Samuel Iago became the owner. Thomas Kettera, a prominent lawyer and member of Congress from Lancaster, had an interest in the works for a time. The entire property was purchased in 1810 by Henry Grubb who en- larged the works and after that date the place was known as Codorus Forge. He paid $17,810 for the land and the forge. John Shippen, afterward president of the Miner's bank of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was manager from 1818 to 1825, when the product was 400 tons of bar iron annually. One of the managers of the forge was John T. Ubil, who afterwards became a " slave catcher " and several times got a reward for returning negroes to their southern owners. He lived in Manchester. The other managers were Henry P. Robertson, Elijah Geiger, Henry Trego, Henry Felten- berger, David Lockard, William Moore, John McIlvaine and Robert S. King. Dur- ing the year 1837 the furnace was built. Most of the ore used was obtained from

ter County, still owned by the Grubbs. The ore was towed across the river in flat boats. The right to large tracts of timberland was purchased by the Grubbs in Hellam, Cone- wago and Newberry Townships.

The furnace and forge ceased operation were erected here in 1765 by William Ben- in 1850, after an existence of eighty-five

20 532 64

194 372 63 74 I68 II4 479 20 40

450 603 644

483 598 600 488

690 143 39 79 40 303

20.4 20

672 20

1850 73 2055 20 78

On the south side of the Codorus

986

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

years. For a long time sixty men were reg- ularly employed. A large charcoal house was built by the Grubbs above York Ha- ven, which was taken down the Susque- hanna in 1848 and thus $5000 worth of pre- pared charcoal and chestnut wood floated down the stream and was lost. Vast quan- tities of pig iron were made at the furnace. This was made into bar iron and blooms at the forge. Much of the manufactured iron was loaded in shallops and floated down the stream to tide water and from thence to Philadelphia and Baltimore. The firm owned in 1830 nearly 4000 acres of wood- land in Hellam and Spring Garden town- ships. The valuation of the property in 1848 including woodland was $52,000. Clement Grubb, of Lancaster, and General Edward B. Grubb, of New Jersey, composed the firm who last operated these works. A flint mill was started on the site of the iron works in 1884. The quartz rocks from the Hellam hills were ground. The flood of 1884 took away 140 tons of ground flint.

For many years the site of the Codorus Forge seemed to be a deserted spot. The building became a pile of ruins. In 1906 the property was sold to Hugh M. North, of Columbia, who has since removed the debris and formed the surrounding region into a park with settees for pleasure seekers. At the mouth of the Codorus a short dis- tance below, in 1905 the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company completed a massive bridge across the Susquehanna.

Wild Cat is a noted pleasure resort in Hellam Township below the mouth of the Codorus Creek. It is a picturesque region and much admired by tourists. Accomac is another romantic place visited by many pleasure seekers during the summer season. Glen Orchard is an interesting spot where several prominent persons have erected a summer hotel.

Hellam Distilling Company and several lime kilns and lime stone quarries furnish employment to a large number of persons in the Kreutz Creek Valley.

Deposits of iron ore were found Iron Ore. in this township as early as 1762. Some of this ore was used by the owners of the Furnace, at the mouth of the Codorus before the Revolu- tion. There are no evidences that iron in large quantities was obtained in this town-

ship until 1850. From that date until 1880, valuable ore was taken out by a number of parties.

Wilton's Bank, one and a quarter miles southeast of Wrightsville, was opened in 1850. About 12,000 tons of brown hema- tite ore were taken out by Henry Wilton, who leased the property of Jabez Jenkins. It was afterwards owned by Harris Wilton.

Benjamin Strickler's Bank was opened about 1852 by Mr. Bahn, and then leased to Mr. Musselman of Marietta, who worked it for several years.

The Stoner Bank, situated three and a half miles southwest of Wrightsville, was opened in 1850, and from that date to 1875, a large quantity of ore was taken out. Seven hundred and fifty tons were taken out by Musselman & Watts. Shafts were sunk at this bank, whose area was about three-fourths of an acre.

Rudy's Banks were situated half a mile west of Stoner's, and covered an area of about one and one-fourth acres. This bank was opened in 1862 by Musselman & Watts, and workd as an open cut. There were 9,872 tons of ore taken out here which contained forty-one per cent of metallic iron.

Rudy's Bank, four and a half miles south- west of Wrightsville, was opened in 1860, and worked four years by James Meyers, of Columbia, as lessee. The bank before it caved in was an open cut, at one place 180 feet deep. Nearby was Keller's ore pit.

Hiestand's Bank was a very large one, situated along Glatz's Ferry road. It cov- ered an area of an acre. Large amounts of ore were taken out by Musselman & Halde- man as lessees. The banks owned by Sam- uel and Jacob Dietz were leased by Stephen F. Eagle, of Marietta, in 1868, and 3000 tons of ore were taken out. Fritz's Bank was opened in 1864, by Meyers & Benson for five years, and afterward by Benson & Cat- trell. A twenty horse-power engine and twenty men were employed. The ore con- tained forty-four per cent. of metallic iron. The central point of interest in Town of this township is the thrifty and Hellam. prosperous town of Hellam. It is situated in the heart of Kreutz Creek Valley, along the trolley line and the turnpike which extends from York to Wrightsville. About 1855, tobacco grow-

987

HELLAM

ing became a profitable business for the Hel- mile from the town, where George E. lam farmers. As a result of the success of cultivating leaf tobacco, the cigar making industry was begun at Hellam at an early date.

In 1845. Alexander Blessing opened a store, which he conducted with success for twenty years or more, and for a short time, John W. Gable was a partner with him in the same business. Alexander Blessing was a pioneer in the cigar making industry, beginning several years before the Civil War. He was succeeded in the mercantile business by John W. Gable, his son, Jacob A. Blessing, Stephen A. Wilson and Lem- uel R. Crumbling. Jacob A. Blessing erected the Hellam House in 1879.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 175

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