History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 179

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

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The tract on which this village

York is seated was patented by John Furnace. Hooper October 25, 1731, under a Maryland grant. Abraham Burkholder patented the other part in 1759. The John Hooper part called Padanaram contained II0 acres. John Hooper erected a saw mill on John's Run, the stream which falls over the rocks and flows into the Sus- quehanna river near the site of York Fur- nace Bridge. The saw mill was a primitive flutter wheel mill. This mill was one of the first in that part of the country, and has given the name of Saw Mill Run to the stream originally called John's Run.

Before the Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal was built, the pig iron manufactured by Hopkins was mostly carried to market in arks down the river. Captain Jacob Dritt of Windsor was one of the principal pilots, who carried the products of the neighborhood to market. Many of these arks carrying iron to market from the fur-

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naces and forges along the river were upset on the rocks around Indian Steps. The cargoes can yet be seen at low clear water on the bottom.

After 1839, Henry Y. and Samuel Slay- maker and Mr. Hensel operated the furnace under the firm name of Slaymaker & Hen- sel. The Slaymakers built and also oper- atea Margaretta Furnace in Lower Wind- sor Township.

From 1843 to 1845 Daniel Gontner and John Keeports worked it. The operation in the hands of this firm was a failure. Gontner absorbed the earnings. The fur- nace falling back into the hands of Hopkins, in 1846, the firm of Cabeen and Bair, Robert B. Cabeen and John Bair, worked it. Later James Hopkins and John Bair under the firm of Hopkins & Bair ran the furnace until 1851, when John Bair bought it from the tangle of locust and briars.

Hopkins heirs, and formed a partnership with David and Daniel Bair, of Lancaster County, John Shafner of Philadelphia, and Jacob Huber of York Furnace, known as John Bair & Company. In 1852, Daniel Bair and Jacob Huber withdrew from the firm. After conducting the business until 1871, John Bair became sole proprietor.

Chanceford and Lower Chanceford. A stove foundry was conducted by David Woodmansee and Samuel Diffenbaugh at York Furnace during the years 1856 to 1860. York Furnace went out of blast during the fall of 1875. It had been in active operation for forty-five years, existing through all the ups and downs of that uncertain trade period, 1830-1875. Its vicissitudes ex- ceeded its joys. It crippled financially nearly all its former owners. After 1875, its fires were never relighted. Its ore bank had been sold, timber had become scarce and the cheap price of anthracite iron had cut off its market. At this time, November, 1907, York Furnace is a wreck. Virginia creeper has taken possession of the walls of the stack of old "Speck" furnace and the deep wheel pit has caved in beneath a thick

The Susquehanna Tidewater Canal was constructed through the York Furnace tract, in 1836-39. A weighlock was erected over Saw Mill Run in 1850. The same year, John Bair erected a large store, hotel, ware- house building and wharves in close prox- imity to the weighlock. At this point from 1850 to 1885, was carried on one of the most active trades in freight and general merchandise in the lower end of the county. John Bair and Robert C. Bair, under the firm name of J. Bair & Son, carried on busi- ness from 1878 to 1892. The abandonment character of York Furnace. Business closed down, and the once busy place was deserted.

The product of this furnace was conveyed by canal boat to Philadelphia, and sold there by Cabeen & Company exclusively for the manufacture of car wheels, anthra- cite iron at the time, not possessing suffi- cient hardness and toughness. During the of the canal in 1894, changed the whole Civil War most of the York Furnace iron was used in making cannon.

Since 1894, the seclusion of the York

The limestone used in the furnace was brought by boat from the Conestoga Creek, Furnace, its magnificent scenery and rest- near Rock Hill, Lancaster County, and from Lower Windsor. The ore used in the orig- inal furnace under Slaymaker & Hensel, was hauled from Margaretta Furnace in Lower Windsor Township, and from Moser's ore bank, four miles from York, in Windsor Township. Hopkins brought ore from his Conowingo banks. Later John Bair had his own ore bank in Conestoga Township, Lan- caster County, and the ore was brought to the furnace by flat boats. ful location has developed a delightful sum- mer resort to which people come during the season, from York, Lancaster and Philadel- phia. The York Furnace property was sold in 1900 by the executor of John Bair to the McCall's Ferry Electric Power Com- pany which proposes the erection of a sixty foot dam across the Susquehanna river be- low the ferry. The river at York Furnace when this dam is completed, will be trans- formed into a deep lake. During 1904, charters were granted and surveys made for the erection of a bridge across the river on the site of the old bridge, built 1855, and destroyed by ice February 9, 1857, and also

The Conestoga ore being slightly coal short, it was found profitable to use Cono- wingo ore in certain proportions with it. The charcoal was produced from cord wood cut from the heavily timbered hills of for the construction of an electric railway

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Furnace.

from Red Lion via Airville and York here about 1740. In official records it is mentioned as White's Ferry in 1748. The

Castle very important manufacturing in-

Fin dustry. It was situated in the ex-

Forge. treme southern portion of Lower Chanceford Township, on Muddy Creek, at a romantic spot surrounded by high hills. The name "Castle Fin," was given to it in honor of Robert Coleman, the iron manufacturer, of Pennsylvania, who was born in the village of Castle Fin, prov- ince of Ulster, County of Donegal, Ire- land.

This forge for many years was a next owner was Joseph Hadley who pur- chased 145 acres on the York County side. George Stevenson, an agent for the Penns who held the offices of clerk of the courts and recorder of deeds for York County from 1749 to 1764, purchased the ferry and all its rights in 1757. He owned the prop- erty from that date until 1772, when he moved to Carlisle where he died.

The ferry received the name which it has since born, in 1772, when it was purchased by John and Matthew McCall, two of the of York County. John McCall some years later, removed to South Carolina with the tide of Scotch-Irish migration to that state. Matthew McCall continued to be the owner of the property for a period of thirty years later, until the time of his death.

The iron business was begun here in IS10 leading Scotch-Irish settlers in this region by Joseph Webb. It was first called Pal- myra Forge. This site was selected on ac- count of the abundance of chestnut and other timber in the vicinity, suited for burn- ing charcoal. In 1812, Joseph Withers & Company managed the interest and con- tinued until December 26, 1815, when the property was offered for sale by Joseph Kauffelt, sheriff of York County. Joseph Webb became the rightful owner again, and disposed of it to Thomas Burd Coleman, of Cornwall Furnace, Lebanon County, who did a very extensive business. An immense tract of chestnut timber land was purchased, and a large number of employees put to work.

Mr. Coleman built a mansion in the vicin- ity. About fifteen houses were erected for employees. Some woodland was bought, pany which in 1817, constructed a bridge as low as $5 per acre. In 1840 about fifty hands were employed. Large quantities of hammered iron and blistered steel were made. One of the managers who conducted the business for many years was Edmund Evans. He was succeeded by Isaac Eaton. Robert and William Coleman succeeded in the ownership. Joseph Longenecker pur- chased the forge from the Colemans. This property was sold in April, 1906, by the owner R. F. Tabor to J. Howard Stubbs, of Delta, for the sum of $12,000, and is being developed for electrical purposes. A power plant is in course of erection on the old forge site.

McCall s Ferry.

McCall's Ferry in Lower Chance- ford Township was used by the Indians as a place to cross the Susquehanna before the first white settlers had arrived on this side of the river. Robert Nelson opened a ferry

It was always a prominent crossing place over the river. Besides being used exten- sively by early settlers in their migrations from eastern Pennsylvania to the west and southwest, it was utilized during the Revo- lution for the transportation of army wagons and small bodies of troops. James Pedan as guardian of the McCall children held this ferry in 1810, and 320 acres of land adjoining it on the western side of the stream. In 1811, Pedan disposed of this property to the McCall's Ferry Bridge Com- across the river. This bridge was designed and its erection superintended by Theodore Burr, then the most noted bridge builder in the United States. The McCall's Ferry Bridge cost $140,000. Part of this money was appropriated by an act of the Penn- sylvania legislature. Shortly after it was completed a disastrous flood of the Susque- hanna swept the bridge down the river and it was never rebuilt by the same company. This disaster caused the company to fail, and the property was purchased by its presi- dent. At the time of the latter's death, the property descended to a son-in-law by the name of Marshall, who owned it until about 1860. The next owner was William Rich- ardson who owned it until his death in 1868. It was operated by his heirs until 1875 when Elias Frey became the owner. Samuel D., Robert F., and Milton Frey, sons of Elias Frey, owned this ferry in

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Company was organized in New York City, May 25, 1905, with Cary F. Hutchinson, president. This company was formed by a union of the Hillside Water and Power Company and the Susquehanna Water and Power Company. Bonds to the amount of $10,000,000 were floated in September, 1905. The McCall's Ferry Power Company ob- tained the right to build a dam across the river. The dam is being built on the Lan- caster County side and when completed will extend from the Lancaster to the York County shore. A brick building 600 feet long, 75 feet wide and 90 feet high was erected by the company. Fifteen wheels

stalled until others are needed. These wheels are moved by water directly from the river without a race. From McCall's Ferry to Baltimore is fifty miles ; to Phila- delphia, sixty miles. From Columbia to McCall's Ferry the fall of the river is 117 feet.

The project of daming the entire Susque- hanna river with a sixty feet dam is a stupendous enterprise, in the difficulties presented to the engineers in its construc- tion, in transformation of river valley and natural conditions, only exceeded by the Nile river dam at Assouan.

Notes. Before 1835, most of the wheat consumed in Lower Chanceford was brought from York. Fred- erick McSherry introduced the one-horse thread threshing machine in 1842. Before this date all the wheat of the township was threshed with the flail or by tramping with horses. In 1846 there were four such ma- chines in Lower Chanceford. It was about 1840 that William Cowan, Peter Smith, Robert Smith, John Kilgore, Nathaniel Scott and others introduced lime as a fertilizer. The limestone was brought down in boats from the Calien Branch quarries at Five-mile Level, on the Susquehanna Canal. It was burnt in kilns built on the farms. Phosphate and other fertilizers have wrought a marvelous change.

Shad fishing was a prosperous business

1905, when all its rights and privileges were three-fourths of a century ago along the sold to the McCall's Ferry Water and Susquehanna, where it borders on Lower Power Company. Chanceford. There were a number of good William Cowan reported that The McCall's Ferry Water and Power fisheries. 3,000 shad were caught at one haul with a large seine, at Jackson's Battery, near Culley's Falls. Many shad were caught in former times, and are still caught at Mc- Call's and Shenk's Ferries, and other points. The shad season was a harvest for the fishermen. Some fishermen as employees were known to make $300 in one season of six weeks, and rested the remainder of the year. Hundreds of teams came to the river, near these fisheries to purchase shad and haul them south and west to dispose of them.

Pleasant Grove Academy in Lower Chanceford was founded in 1865. It was a with vertical turbine shaft, are to be in- chartered institution controlled by a board of trustees and was situated one mile east of Muddy Creek Forks. Robert B. Taggart was the first principal. Some of the other principals have been Cyrus Herr, James Hume Smith and W. W. Grove.

Rev. Joshua Williams, a noted clergyman of the Presbyterian Church, resided in Lower Chanceford during his boyhood. He became pastor of Paxtang and Derry Churches in Dauphin County, and also pas- tor of Big Spring Church in Cumberland County, where he died August 21, 1838.

Hon. John Stewart, of Mansfield, Ohio, was born in Lower Chanceford, on the farm later owned by James W. Stewart. He re- moved with his parents to Seneca, Ontario County, N. Y. After attaining manhood, he was admitted to the bar, and soon after removed to Mansfield, Ohio, where he won distinction in his profession. He was elected presiding judge of the county court, and served two terms. He was afterward chosen judge of the circuit court of Ohio, embracing several counties. Judge Stewart died in 1856. One of his daughters married John Sherman, of Ohio, secretary of the treasury.

William Cowan, of Lower Chanceford, died in 1886 at the age of six years. His parents, Robert and Catherine (Davidson) Cowan, emigrated from Ireland to America, before the Revolution. A brother of Mr. Cowan's father came to New York in 1778, when in possession of the British. He paid

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

the guard a guinea, escaped into the Ameri- can lines and came to York County to find his brother in the patriot army. William Cowan was born January 24, 1790, and was the last representative of Captain Colvin's company of soldiers that marched in 1814 to the defence of Baltimore, when endan- gered by the invading English army. In 1885 he described to the writer with vivid- ness the scenes which transpired about the time of the death of the British Commander,

General Ross, and the retreat of his army. part for a period of eighty years. It slopes gently eastward, and is drained by small tributaries of the Susquehanna. The farm- ing land in the greater part of the township is valuable, and there are still tracts of ex- cellent woodland.

Captain Colvin's company of 100 men be- longed to Chanceford, Hopewell and Fawn. They were nearly all tall men of fine stature. Hugh Long, who lived near the Brogue, was first lieutenant; J. McDonald, second lieutenant. The company met and started on the march from the farm of David Wil- son. They were in the service fifty-five days and after the retreat of the British were discharged. The sword, carried by Lieutenant McDonald was presented to the Historical Society of York County, by a not be lost to history or literature. This descendant of the soldier.

The Lower Chanceford Volunteers, a company of 100 uniformed men, were com- manded by Captain James Cameron. They were called out in 1844, at the time of the Native American Riots in Philadelphia, but after going as far as Wrightsville, the order was countermanded, as their services were not needed. John McPherson and Stephen McKinley commanded militia companies. The militia of Lower Chanceford paraded on the farm of James Cross, and sometimes at the famous muster grounds of Dr. Mc- Donald, in Fawn Township. Captain Thompson commanded a volunteer rifle company before the Civil War. There was another volunteer company in the town- ship. It had 77 men.

John Stewart, a Revolutionary soldier of Lower Chanceford, died in 1820. He was the grandfather of Judge Stewart, late quehannocks. of Mansfield, Ohio, and great-grandfather

Shortly after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, a number of negroes settled in this region. In 1907 there were about 400 negroes residing in Lower Chanceford.

CHAPTER LI

TOWNSHIP HISTORY-Continued

Lower Windsor-Manchester and East Manchester - Manheim - Monaghan - Newberry-North Codorus-Paradise- Peach Bottom.

LOWER WINDSOR TOWNSHIP.

This township was formed in 1838, by a division of Windsor, of which it formed a

The valley which extends across the en- tire township in an east and west direction, is fertile with historical associations of the colonial period. It was then called the Conojehela Valley, a beautiful Indian name which, on account of its euphony, should name has, however, been corrupted into "Jockly," "Canojockly," and "Canadochly." It was in this valley that some of the first "squatters" on the west side of the Susque- hanna located, and were driven to the east side by the Provincial authorities, before the time of authorized settlements, the inci- dents of which are related in the first part of this volume. It was on the opposite shore of the river, at the site of the village of Washington, that James Patterson, the Indian trader, lived and flourished when the territory of York County was still owned by the red men. As early as 1722 Patterson used a portion of the Conojehela Valley as a public pasture ground for his horses. The surveyors who laid off Springettsbury Manor met at his store. Governor Keith and the Hon. John Penn stopped there and met representatives of the tribes of the Sus-

At the base of the Conojehela Valley, of the wife of John Sherman, the distin- near the mouth of Cabin Branch Creek, was guished statesman of Ohio. John Maugh- the site of what was known as the fort of lin, who died about 1880, aged ninety-three, was a soldier in the War of 1812.

Colonel Thomas Cresap the hero of the Maryland Intruders. The thrilling inci- dents which caused so much commotion on account of the encroachment of the Mary- landers, will be found on page 50.

A list of the taxable inhabitants of Lower

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Windsor in 1783 will be found in the history He was the only person who received pay of Windsor Township.

Tobacco growing was introduced into Windsor and Lower Windsor townships in 1837, a complete account of which will be found on page 631. During the past twenty years, a large portion of the fertile lands of Lower Windsor has been used in growing the tobacco plant. An excellent quality of tobacco is now grown. It finds a ready sale to wholesale purchasers. Lower Windsor is the banner township in York County for the production of tobacco equal in quality to that grown in Lancaster or any adjoining counties. The township also contains a large number of cigar fac- tories. At least one-third of its population find employment in the manufacture of cigars.

Most of the settlers of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches. Conojehela Valley were of German descent. The first religious services were held in the log houses of pioneer settlers. The record book of the Cana- dochly church shows that John Schaum, George Hochheimer, Lucas Raus and Nich- olas Hornell, early pastors of Christ Lu- theran Church at York, preached the doc- trines of Martin Luther in this beautiful ' valley before there was any house of wor- ship dedicated to Almighty God. Rev. Jacob Lischy, the pioneer missionary of the Reformed Church, preached to the follow- ers of the Zwingli faith in this region be- fore 1763. It was during that year that the Lutheran and Reformed people joined to- gether for the purpose of erecting a log church on a well selected spot overlooking a wide extent of country. Some of the mem- bers brought logs which had been hewed on their own farms, others hauled stones for a foundation and still others made the high pews. A woodworker of the neighborhood carved a pulpit out of the trunk of a large tree which was placed above a winding stairs. Over this pulpit there was a sound- ing board so that the pastor's voice could be heard in all parts of the room, of which the earth was the floor, for this was the custom of building houses in colonial days. Philip Gossler, who afterwards served as captain in the Revolution, joined the logs together and placed one on top the other.

for his work. Henry Amend, assisted by Michael Kauffelt, was the carpenter. Both of these men possessed real estate and charged nothing for their labor, but they had done their work so well that the com- munity collected money and purchased each of them a fine suit which they could wear when religious services were held in this pioneer church amid the primeval forests of Lower Windsor in the days of long ago.

One beautiful day in June, 1764, Rev. Nicholas Hornell, representing the Luther- ans, and Rev. Jacob Lischy, the Reformed people, in the presence of a large audience, dedicated this log building which stood for thirty-six years. In 1799 the second church was built. During this period the Lutheran congregation was served by the successive pastors of Christ Lutheran Church at York, and the other congregation by the pastors of Zion Reformed Church.

In 1814 this church and the Kreutz Creek Church were separated from the York charge. Rev. Charles A. Morris officiated in this church from 1814 to 1818, when he resigned and became proprietor of the Mor- ris Drug Store at York. Rev. John Herbst was the next pastor for one year. Rev. John G. Craver was called in 1819, and re- mained as pastor until 1834. He lived dur- ing his entire pastorate on North George Street, York, later the residence of the late James Kell.

In 1835, Rev. Jonathan Oswald suc- ceeded. He introduced English preaching gradually, until one-half of the services were conducted in that language. Rev. Dr. Oswald was like a father among his people, and during his ministerial labors of forty years, was successful in largely increasing the membership of the church. He preached his farewell sermon to this con- gregation on Sunday, June 20, 1875, and afterward resided in York, until his death.

A third church was built in 1867. It oc- cupies a beautiful site, affording to the ob- server an extended view over a large scope of country on both sides of the Susque- hanna. P. W. Keller was the contractor; John Libhart and Samuel Leber, Reformed, and George Keller and Samuel Gilbert, Lu- therans, formed the building committee.

To the east of the church is the old grave-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

yard, where silently sleep many of the early structure built under the direction of Henry inhabitants of the Conojehela Valley. The Y. Slaymaker who frequently conducted names on the tombstones indicate that they the religious services himself which were were Germans. Some of the inscriptions are in their native tongue. largely attended by his employees. Visit- ing clergymen from York and Columbia To the west of the church is a well kept cemetery, containing many large marble and granite monuments. often preached in this building on Sunday afternoons. In 1834 the first Sunday School in Lower Windsor Township was opened in this church.

A parsonage, occupied by the sexton, and fifteen acres of land adjoining, is a part of the church property. Since Rev. Oswald's resignation, the Lutheran congregation has Evangelical been served in order by the following named preachers: L. K. Sechrist, Herman Kroh, Reuben Stair, Edward E. Hoshour, David B. Lau, John H. Meyer and Joseph B. Krout.

Rev. Jacob Lischy, of York, was the first pastor of the Reformed congregation. He was succeeded by Daniel Wagner, William Oterbein, James R. Reiley, G. Geistweit,

The township of Lower Wind-

United sor contains several United Evangelical churches. The

Churches. church at East Prospect and Trinity Church, three miles

northeast of East Prospect, form one charge of which Rev. W. H. Brown was pastor in 1907.

Crayleyville Circuit includes the church at Craleyville, Salem church, Bittersville church, Ebenezer and another congregation D. Zacharias, D. D., Daniel Zeigler, D. D., worshipping in Chanceford Township. Rev. R. Rahauser, E. G. Williams, A. Wanner, D. P. Schaffer was pastor of this large cir- D. D., Gideon P. Fisher, William Korn and cuit in 1907.

E. M. Sando.

Yorkana is a prosperous village,

The Sunday School which was connected Yorkana. situated in the fertile part of Lower Windsor Township. The name was selected by Dr. J. W. Barcroft,

with the Union Church was organized in 1840, in a schoolhouse, about three-quarters of a mile west from the church. Henry Y. of Washington, D. C., who owned property Slaymaker, of Margaretta Furnace was the in this vicinity, and who was a personal first superintendent. In 1857 it was re- moved to the church where it was continued as a Union Sunday School. After its re- moval to the church John Hellerman was the first superintendent. friend of Gerard C. Brown, member of the State Senate from York County, who re- sided at this place until the time of his death. Within recent years, business en- terprises in this region have prospered. Cigar making is carried on extensively. The entire valley from the line of Windsor Township to East Prospect contains a

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 179

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