History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 193

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

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 193

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

in a hard fought contest with Kilpatrick's

Religious services were held under the Division of Union cavalry at Hanover. Af- auspices of the Church of God in Warring- ter Stuart was defeated in that town, he ton as early as 1855, and conducted at stated went through Codorus Township to Jeffer- times by ministers who served as supplies son, from thence to Hanover Junction, until April 1, 1884, when Frank L. Bardeens northward through Manchester and Dover townships, moving all night and stopping at Dover for breakfast. A complete ac-

became the regular pastor. The church owned by the congregation was built through the energies of Elder R. E. Reever, count of the local incidents of this famous at a cost of $1,000, and dedicated May 21, march appears in the history of the bor- 1883. Elder G. W. Seilhamer preached oughs and townships named above, and the dedicatory sermon.

Mt. Zion Church of the United Brethren in Christ was built about 1850. It is now in York Springs Circuit, and the pastor re- sides at Franklintown.

found in this volume. After Stuart left Dover he moved northward to the point where the State Road branches off to the left toward Emig's Mill. The brigades under General Fitzhugh Lee and General John R. Chamblis took this road in the movement toward Dillsburg and Carlisle. Stuart proceeded with the brigade of Gen- eral Wade Hampton, who was guarding the

Rehoboth Meeting House was a Lorenzo Dow. place for religious worship and for school purposes, situated in the eastern part of Warrington. It accidentally caught fire in 1835, and train of 125 wagons, which had been cap- burned, and was never after rebuilt. It

tured along the Potomac river near Wash- was used by the Methodists. During the ington several days before. He proceeded winter of 1829-30, Daniel M. Ettinger, the across the Conewago at the stone bridge well-known surveyor and citizen of York, and passed through Rossville where some was teaching school in this building when of his men stopped and obtained provisions the erratic yet world-renowned evangelist, from the citizens. The long train of wag- Lorenzo Dow, visited Warrington and ons moved slowly and halted at the farm of preached to a large audience. His text was the late Jacob Moore to feed their horses and mules and eat their dinners of hard tack and roast beef. They unhitched the horses The end of all things is at hand." This visit of Dow's was made soon after his re- turn from England, when five shillings were and mules from the wagons and let them paid in that country to hear him preach or eat the grain which was poured out on the

1087

WARRINGTON

ground. These mounted men, as well as the bridge, one of these men ascended the the teamsters, and the two batteries of ar- hill on a gallop. He came within fifty tillery, had marched all night and were very yards of the Confederate, just as the latter tired. As soon as they had eaten their din- ners most of them threw themselves on the ground and fell asleep. After an hour's rest, the bugle sounded for them to take up the march. The tired men mounted their horses, the teamsters hitched the horses to their wagons and the whole column and wagon train moved on toward Dillsburg.

The brigades under Lee and Chamblis entered Warrington over the State Road at Emig's Mill, and marched toward Wells- ville. When they reached the forks of the road, the brigade under Chamblis continued on the State Road and Lee's brigade passed on through Wellsville. It was about noon when Lee reached that village. His troops were nearly all Virginia soldiers. Although they were tired and worn out from the long march, these veterans of many battles, were in a cheerful mood. They started up a war song, and sang it as they rode through the town. A few of the men dismounted and entered the store then conducted by Abra- ham and John E. Wells, owners of the whip factory. They took a few articles, paid for them in Confederate paper money, and then

was crossing Doe Run, at the farm of Rich- ard Young. Pointing his carbine, "Sur- render," he said. But the Virginia cavalry- man decided to gallop away, and the Union soldier levelled his carbine and fired two or three shots at his enemy. The Southern soldier placed his finger upon the trigger of his carbine, but after looking around to see how far away his antagonist was, put the spurs to his horse and escaped uninjured and soon joined his brigade.

A few of the soldiers of Hampton's bri- gade lingered behind at Rossville. They demanded from the citizens the best provi- sions their larder afforded. Before they had eaten their bountiful dinners, one of the men on the street, saw half a dozen Federal soldiers riding up toward the village. These men belonged to Kilpatrick's cavalry and had been sent out by their commanding officer on a scouting expedition, to see in what direction the enemy was going. Soon as the Confederate soldiers saw the ap- proach of the Union men, they mounted their horses to join their brigade. The Union soldiers followed them and shots joined the moving column of mounted men. were exchanged, just as the Southerners It required two hours or more for the entire were leaving the village. None of these The shots took effect.

brigade to pass through the town. three brigades came together near Dills- burg and halted for the night of July I, on a level plain, between Dillsburg and Beaver- town.

Just as the Confederate advance had reached Rossville, Sergeant John M .. Grif- fith was returning to his home in that vil- lage. He was a member of Company H, Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and had been slightly wounded near Winchester about two weeks before. He was not dressed in military uniform, but the Southern soldiers believed that he had been in the Union army and demanded that he should accompany them. They made him go with them to Dillsburg, to Carlisle and even to Gettysburg, which they reached in the evening of the next day.

There were several incidents of Exciting Incidents. the movement through War- rington Township of special in- terest. Soon after Chamblis had passed the bridge at Emig's Mill, a Confed- erate soldier rode to the rear of his brigade. He had caught sight of a fine horse, owned by Solomon Bushey, a farmer of Warring- ton Township. His comrades were a mile or more ahead of him, when he captured this horse. Three mounted soldiers, be- Many fine horses were captured in Warrington Township by these Confed- erate raiders. Most of the farmers had taken their horses across the Susquehanna, but some had concealed them in the dense thickets at the base of Round Top. When longing to Kilpatrick's comnand, were on the opposite side of the Conewago. They had been sent out from East Berlin, to watch the movement of the Confederate cavalry and report to their commander. They caught sight of the Confederate sol- Stuart and his men halted at the noon hour dier, and determined to recapture the at the Moore farm in Warrington, a squad Bushey horse. Dashing rapidly through of mounted men were sent over to Round

1088

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Top. In the language of an old citizen, pose, as they were on friendly terms with they made a big "haul," for they captured them. They were horrified with the re- a large number of fine animals which they took with them on their march to Gettys- burg, where some of these Warrington horses fell with their riders on the third day of the great battle.

The incidents of this Confederate raid for the next day will be found in the history of Dillsburg, in this volume.

Among the first immigrants to Warrington was William Grif-

Interesting Facts. fith, who took up land now owned by his descendants above Rossville. Another immigrant at the same time in 1736, obtained a warrant for the adjoining farm, formerly owned by Frank Elcock; a third immigrant located on land near the Conewago. They came from New Castle, Delaware.

James Lenox, the first surveyor of this and pursued their vocation of hunting and section, was an Englishman, and owned fishing. large tracts of land which he disposed of to new settlers as they arrived.

Tradition says, the first Quaker settlers of this township crossed the Susquehanna at Wright's Ferry, obtained permits for the land, passed across the county, here and there meeting an occasional settler. They came either on foot or on pack-horses, ninety-six.

camped out, had with them rifles, and a few cleared small tracts of land, sowed grain, went back to their former homes to relate their adventures and prepare to return the next summer, to reap the first harvest, some of them bringing with them young wives to share their experiences of backwoods life among the Indians who were their neigh- bors.

William Griffith, great-grandfather of the late James Griffith of Warrington, died in the township at the age of one hundred and five years, and his remains were interred in the Friends' burying ground. He came to America with William Penn. He often re- lated the following interesting incident to his descendants:

In 1736 and later, a party of Indians were neighbors to the early settlers about the site of Rossville. Among those who had their wigwams near the Ross tannery was an old Indian. One day Griffith and his com- rades saw the young Indians build a large fire and they went to inquire for what pur-

sponse, saying, “ Burn old man, no hunt, no fish, only eat, no longer good Indian." The kindly intervention of the friendly whites caused them to desist from their cruel cus- tom of burning the aged and infirm, which was not uncommon among our aborigines.

Many Indian darts and spears made of native blue stone or quartz have been found in this locality.

A number of Indian arrow heads, spear points and hatchets, all of stone, have been found on the farm of the late Levi Spangler, , along the Warrington side of the Conewago, below the stone bridge. On both sides of the stream here, from Emig's Mill to Kun- kel's Mill, is the fertile Conewago valley, containing many beautiful and level tracts on which the Indians frequently encamped,

William Griffith, son of the immigrant, was once lost in a dense woods surrounding Round Top Mountain, remained out over night, and died from the results of exposure and excitement. His son, Abraham Grif- fith, could read and shoot squirrels at the age of ninety-five years, and died aged

The property near the foot of Round Top agricultural implements. They built cabins, was once in the possession of General Henry

Miller, of Revolutionary fame, whose biog- raphy appears on page 205. For half a cen- tury or more it was the site of one of the old-time taverns, in which was introduced a " Franklin " stove, built in the fireplace, one of the first in this section. Frederick Watt, father of the late Judge Watt, of Car- lisle, once owned it.

James Mitchell, one of the early congress- men who represented York County, lived in Warrington on the State road, six miles southeast of Dillsburg. He interested his neighbors by bringing home souvenirs from Washington. David Cadwallader, of War- rington, his nephew, received the cane used by him when a representative in Congress.

By an act of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania in 1784, 'the Conewago Creek was made a public highway as far up the stream as Emig's Mills.

Street Hill is a singular geological forma- tion of dolerite, extending northeast and southwest in Warrington, a short distance

1089

WARRINGTON

north of the Conewago. The name was 1811 and 1814. It cost $4,000. The con- used as early as 1748 by a surveyor, who located a road across it toward York. It is now locally known as "Straight Hill." tractor, tradition says, found he was going to lose money, hence he secured all the labor and material he could on credit. When the bridge was completed, he disappeared with the money received from the county au- thorities and did not pay his employees or creditors.

A level course of two miles in length in the east end of Warrington, on the road leading from the Newberry Friends' Meet- ing House to the Warrington Meeting House, for a century or more has been called the "Quaker Race ground." The young members of the Society on the way back and forth from attending their monthly meetings used this inviting place to try the speed of their horses.

On the Hobaugh farm in Warrington, exists a singular geological feature of great interest, familiarly known in the vicinity as "Ship Rocks." They are dolerite rocks, about twelve in number, some of them of immense proportions. The largest ones bear a striking resemblance to a sailing ves- sel, from which characteristic the name originated. One of them, forty feet long, ten feet high and eight feet thick, lies beside a near neighbor of similar dimensions, from which it was evidently separated by a con- vulsion of nature during a remote period of the world's history. This cluster of surface rocks covers an area of half an acre.

Portions of the wooded tracts in the east- ern part of Warrington are nearly covered with boulders.

Fine specimens of copper ore have been found in Warrington, but not as yet in suf- ficient quantities to be mined.

The cultivation of strawberries has be- come a profitable business in the eastern part of Warrington. In 1884 F. S. Myers raised 4,000 boxes on two acres, and 2,000 boxes of raspberries on the same number of acres. Frederick Myers raised 6,500 boxes of strawberries the same year, and Benja- min Bailetts, 5000. Jeremiah Boring, a short distance east in Newberry Township raised 8,000 boxes of strawberries in 1884. The number of 4,000 boxes of berries to the acre can be raised in a good season. In re- cent years, the berry industry has declined in this district. Tempest Seiffert, Elwood Myers and Emanuel Myers have continued the business with success.

A court record ordered the building of a wooden bridge over the Conewago Creek on the road from York to Carlisle in 175. The old stone bridge there was built between

A roof on the house of Levi Spangler near this bridge was in good condition after eighty years of use. It was placed on the house in 1822. The shingles then cost $5 per 1,000, and boards $7 per 1,000 feet. The same year occurred the great drought, when the Conewago was without water, and tur- nips were raised in its bed near the bridge.

The wooden bridge over the Conewago Creek at Kunkle's Mill, at the northeast end of the township, did not yield its position in the flood of 1884. It rested on two stone abutments, one at either end, and at a height of thirty feet above the water, crossed the stream at a breadth of 100 yards.

A short distance east of the base of Round Top, at a spot affording a most enchanting landscape view far to the south and west, on one quiet evening of June, 1866, immedi- ately after a thunder shower, was committed the foulest murder known to the annals of York County. The Squibb family, grand- father, grandmother and grandchild, each and all were the victims. There was no one left to tell the sad tale of that dreadful homi- cide. The remains of the victims were buried in one common grave in the south- west corner adjoining the Friends' Meeting House. A neat but unpretentious headstone marks the spot.

According to the religious principles of the Society of Friends, they were opposed to any kind of military display. John Black- burn and John Pope, and many other early settlers of Warrington, were temporarily suspended from meeting in 1758 for " ap- pearing in warlike manner, and going to fight the Indians," during the French and Indian War. The militia law which com- pelled every voter between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five to muster regu- larly or pay a fine, was a cause of great an- noyance to the ardent followers of the re- ligion of the great founder of Pennsylvania.

The militia muster grounds were at Ross- ville. Joseph Wright and John Koch were captains of two of these companies.

1090

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The " Warrington Rangers " was a vol- or three places in large quantities before unteer company, started in 1829, com- 1880. Most of the land is now fertile and manded at different times by Captains productive, yielding abundant crops. Im- Black, Baily, James Griffith, Lesley Porter and Martin. It existed for many years. proved modes of cultivation and increased fertilization, have changed the agricultural conditions of this township materially with- in the past third of a century. There are a number of grist mills along the streams.

Hugh Morthland of Warrington, a sol- dier of the One Hundred and Fifty-second Pennsylvania Regiment, was accidentally killed at Fortress Monroe in 1865, while firing a salute in honor of the fall of Rich- mond.

John C. Nesbit, who resided near Ross- ville, was widely known as a mathematician. H. C. Brenneman, who was born at Wells- ville, served for a period of six years as county superintendent of schools. David H. Gardner, who was born at Rossville, filled the same office for a period of twelve years.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

The area now embraced in the township of Washington was included in Warrington for a period of sixty years. In 1803, a pe- Mulberry was known for more tition signed by more than a hundred citi- Mulberry. than half a century as "Raf- fensberger's Store." In 1824 Christian T. Raffensberger began the mer- cantile business and continued it until 1854 when his son Amos succeeded him until 1864, when another son, Jacob, followed him for five years, then Amos returned. He was succeeded by J. C. Bower and John C. Harlacher. M. L. Strayer, who succeeded John C. Harlacher, continued the mercan- tile business here. In 1893 both the store zens in the western part of Warrington, asked the courts of York County to grant the authority for the erection of a new township. The petition was granted, a sur- vey made, and the new township was given the name of Washington, in honor of the first President of the United States, who died less than four years previously. It may be interesting to mention that the cap- ital of the nation, one of the leading states of the northwest, thirty-two counties, and the dwelling house were destroyed by twenty-one towns and post-villages, and one hundred and forty townships in the United States bear the historic name of he was succeeded by Samuel Eberly, who Washington.

Washington Township in its present form is a bent rectangular figure. Its length ex- tends northwest and southeast, with War-

rington on the northeast, bordering on Do- postoffice at this place, a difficulty arose

ver and Paradise on the south, Adams County on the west and Franklin on the north. It is drained by the Bermudian and Conewago creeks and their tributaries. The section of it northeast of the Bermu- dian was settled by the Quakers, and the berry," in honor of his tree. The old tree portion southeast of the same stream by passed away before its original owner, but the German Baptists as early as 1738.

Washington has a variety of soil. A vein of black dolerite crosses it, and also a small vein of copper. Iron was taken out at two

The " Barrens " is an area covering about 3,000 acres of pure red shale soil, lying in the northern part of Washington, near the village of Franklintown. The name origi- nated with the early settlers, owing to a lack of fertility of the soil. Much of it was found by the first white settlers to be a bar- ren waste, destitute of trees, and only here and there covered with scrub oak, and a sort of prairie grass. This land by improved methods of cultivation and proper fertiliza- tion is now productive. Land which in 1835 was nearly valueless, can now be made to grow twenty-five bushels of wheat to the acre.

fire, while owned by M. L. Strayer, who immediately rebuilt them. Soon afterward has continued the business with success. L. W. Lighty began the store business in 1881.

In 1864 when application was made for a as to its name. A large mulberry tree stood in front of the store, and the vener- able Christian Raffensberger, who lived to the age of eighty-six years, asked " Uncle Sam" to call the new postoffice " Mul-

a new one was planted on the same spot. The large bridge over the Conewago at this place was taken away by the flood of 1884, after having served the public for fifty

109I

WASHINGTON

years, and an iron bridge placed there in in 1890, a brick church was erected, which 1886.

has since been jointly used by the Menno-

In 1863, when Amos Raffensberger was nites and United Evangelical Church. Some store-keeper at this place, he loaded his of the early Mennonite preachers were Ja- goods on two large wagons and concealed them in a dense growth of trees and bushes along the Conewago, on the approach of the Confederate army toward York. cob Hershey, Samuel Roth and Isaac Kauff- man. Rev. J. M. Price, of the United Evan- gelical Church, pastor of the Wellsville Cir- cuit in 1906, was succeeded by Rev. Ralph

They escaped capture from Early's divi- Smith.

Jesse Krall's mill, on the Bermudian, one mile and a half from the village, was built by William Butt in 1782. Michael Myers operated it for twenty-six years. In 1904 it burned down and was never rebuilt. One mile south from the Krall mill is the Abso-

sion of soldiers on their way eastward, but on July 1, when Stuart's cavalry passed northward through Warrington Township, a squad of horsemen who were foraging through this region, discovered Mr. Raffens- berger's wagons. They took possession of all the goods and wearing apparel to the lom Trimmer Mill, later owned by Jacob amount of $900, for which Mr. Raffens- Eisenhart. Cornelius Strayer operated a berger never received any payment either tannery for a long time and Lewis Strayer from the Confederates or the United States a wool carding mill, along the Bermudian. government. What was known as the Diehl's mill and Eisenhart's mill are sit- " Border Raid Claim " never became a law, uated along the Conewago.

neither through Pennsylvania statute nor by an act of Congress, and Mr. Raffensber- ger, like many other citizens of southern Pennsylvania, failed to recover what right- fully seems to be a just and equitable claim. Near the center of Washing- ton Township, in a fertile re- The population of Washington Township gion, lies the interesting vil- in 1820 was 1,061; in 1830, 1,037; 1840, 1,226; 1850, 1,339; 1860, 1,386; 1870, 1,444; 1880, 1,450; 1890, 1,464; 1900, 1,388.

David Newcomer, once associate judge of York County, was born near Kralltown. When a young man he drilled a militia com- pany, and afterward a volunteer company, in his native township. He died in Han- over in 1874.

Hall Post Office.

lage of Kralltown. The geo- graphical name is Hall Post Office. Jesse Krall engaged in the mercantile business The German Baptists, or Dun- at this place in 1853. One end of the store Churches. kers, were among the first per- sons who settled in Washington Township. In the history of that denomi- nation, found in another chapter in this building was used for many years as a pub- lic inn, but during the last third of a cen- tury no hotel has been kept in any part of Warrington Township. Jesse Krall was work, it will be noticed that an organization succeeded in the store business at this place was effected near the Bermudian as early

by John Krall, Samuel Reed, Henry B. Smith, John Straley, T. F. Givler, Andrew K. Straley, M. L. Strayer, J. C. Strayer, bers. In 1857 the present brick meeting M. E. Spahr and Myers & Mumper. house was built one-half mile from Mulberry

The postoffice was opened near Bower's Post Office at a cost of $1,500. This de- church, and named Hall. Michael S. nomination does not have dedicatory serv- ices. Some of the preachers were Daniel Altland, John Raffensberger, Peter Trim- Bower, who had a store there, was the first postmaster. It was removed to Kralltown, and Samuel Reed became postmaster. He mer and William Wiley.

was succeeded in order by A. K. Straley, Theodore F. Givler and M. L. Strayer.

This is the central house of the Lower Conewago congregation, where most of the special meetings and love feasts are held. Lower Conewago congregation includes

A Union Meeting House was built near Hall about 1850. It was originally used by the Lutherans, Mennonites and Evangeli- the Bermudian Church, the church three cal Association. During the winter season miles from Dillsburg, known as Wolgamuth, and the church called Holtzschwamm, near a school was kept in the building for many years. The old building was removed and Big Mount, and about five miles from East

as 1738. Religious worship was conducted for nearly a century in the houses of mem-

1092

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Berlin. Emanuel Gochenouer is the bishop The Lutheran pastors who officiated here, with three assistant ministers who take as far as can be ascertained, were Revs. their turns at the different churches. There are about 225 communicants in this congregation. There are also appointments at Strinestown, Aughenbaugh's and Man- chester, with Israel Emrich as minister. Conrad Reiman, in 1807, John Weible, J. Garman, Samuel Henry, Joseph R. Focht, Aaron Finfrock, Peter Warner, Jacob Bricker, Emanuel Studebecker, Henry Seif- fert. Rev. I. W. Croftel was pastor in 1907.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 193

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