History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 5

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

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

perches to a marked white oak standing on a bank of a small meadow near the said branch, from thence running by a line of marked trees northwest nine hundred perches to a corner white oak standing in the woods near the head of a branch which runs into Susquehanna river opposite to the lower part of James LeTort's plantation ; thence down the said branch by the courses thereof, three hundred and twenty perches to the river ; thence down the same, fifteen hundred perches to the place of beginning. containing two thousand acres.

JACOB TAYLOR, JAMES STEELE.

It will be observed that the Minute of the Board of Property above cited states that "James Steele met with Jacob Taylor at Conestoga." Steele did not overtake him. In the light of after discovery this state- ment confirms the fact that Jacob Taylor was coming or had come from some point beyond Conestoga. The fact is, he had al- ready been on the west side of Susquehanna and surveyed five hundred acres for the Governor. Of this survey there is no date when made, warrant, return or draft, yet found. Doubtless there is no record in ex- istence. Keith stated at one time that the survey was made on April 4th and 5th. Keith's five hundred acres were included within the two thousand acre survey of Newberry Tract. That this was a fact ap- pears in a rude, imperfect, preliminary draft in Department of Internal Affairs, made two months later, June. 1722, for the Gov- ernor when he was planning Springettsbury Manor survey. The Governor at that time knew the lines of his own five hundred acres, having been with the surveyor, but it seems he either did not know the metes and bounds of Steele and Taylor's survey of April II and 12, 1722, or, if he did, ignored them and boldly named the northwest cor- ner tree of his own five hundred acre tract as a known corner and directed that it be made one of the Springettsbury corners in order that it might be distinctly designated and associated thereafter with the first trans-Susquehanna warrant and survey made on behalf of the Proprietors and Springett Penn. It seems that by so doing he intended to show thereby that he had carefully excluded his own personal five hundred acre preemption from the Manor.

Whatever the cause may have been for pro- tracting this last mentioned imperfect draft, made either by John French, Francis Wor- ley or James Mitchell, it never had any im- portance in the Land Office other than it has preserved for us in the absence of all other written information the exact location of Governor Keith's secret survey.

The Philadelphia Court House Early erected 1707, where the Pro- Highways. vincial Council met in all its deliberations, stood in the mid- dle of High (Market) street west of and fronting on Second street. (The State House, Independence Hall, was not com- pleted or occupied until 1734.) From the old Court House on Market street James Steele on horseback took his departure for Conestoga. The route lay by the Chester Valley, through the Gap. (where Pennsyl- vania Railroad now crosses the Pequa and Octoraro divide ) thence into Pequa Valley to Strasburg, crossing the Big Conestoga Creek near mouth of the Little Conestoga at James Hendricks and John Hendricks places. The distance was about seventy- five miles due west from Philadelphia, through woods, over a rough and stumpy bridle path. This interesting old road was marked as early as 1710 on the Palatinate German draft. A public road was ordered by council to be laid out and opened on the Conestoga trail in 1718. This road was called the King's Highway or Conestoga road. From the earliest use of it to the present day it has been known in Lancaster county as the Long Lane. It is the Long Lane that had no turn. The country through which the highway ran in 1722 was thinly settled by Swiss Germain Mennon- ites. The elevation of the ground over which it ran adapted it naturally as a trail between the Susquehanna and Delaware. It was over this route the Indians passed to and fro long before the coming of the set- tlers of Pennsylvania.

According to the draft

Boundaries of and return of survey, Newberry Tract. Taylor and, Steele began at the mouth of White Oak branch. This creek is now called Kreutz Creek, in Hellam township, a Ger- man form of the word "Grist." after John Grist, the first squatter or settler on its banks. Grist to the German ear sounded as

INDIAN CONFERENCES

"Christ." "Kreutz" is the name also of one conference at Albany, New York, to meet of the oldest German churches in the Cayuga chiefs, who had offered some ob- Kreutz Creek Valley. Kreutz in the Ger- jection to the conclusion of the conference man language is "the cross." The stream he had held with the Indians at Conestoga in 1721. was undoubtedly named for John Grist.

The 1050 perches line by the courses of the creek is generally that along which now runs the York and Wrightsville Railroad. The post marking this distance fixed the first corner at or near what is now "Stoner's Station" in Hellam township, York county. The northwest line, 900 perches, runs to a corner at the head of a small stream near ore lands, in Hellam township, one mile from the river. The line continues by this small stream, 320 perches, and comes to the river at a point opposite and above the mouth of Chickasalunga Creek. The course then follows the bank of the river 1,500 perches to the point of beginning.

The old draft at York does not indicate John Grist's settlement. The draft in the Department of Internal affairs identifies the habitation of John Grist and Captain Bea- ver, an Indian. The draft in the York Court fixes Captain Beaver's place about where the Pennsylvania Railroad Station now stands at Wrightsville, and a number of wigwams, called Indian huts, are located on the same draft further up the river at the site of the present iron furnace and extend- ing toward the high hill opposite Chickies Rock.

CONESTOGA TREATY OF 1722.

It must be clearly understood that Wil- liam Penn and his heirs always purchased the rights from the Indians before they set- tled on lands on the frontier of Pennsyl- vania. The area of country west of the Susquehanna was still in the possession of the Indians and remained so until the treaty of 1736, when at the conference with the Indians at Philadelphia, a clear title was procured by the heirs of William Penn, the region west of the Susquehanna "west to the setting sun."

The trouble concerning the border line between Maryland and Pennsylvania had begun in Chester County, soon after the earliest settlements. The boundary line was a bone of contention from that time until the Temporary Line was run between Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1739. Even the completion of this line did not settle the difficulty, for it continued until Mason and Dixon's line was run from the Delaware River west to the Allegheny Mountains, in 1767-8. Governor Keith had frequent con- troversies with Governor Ogle, of Mary- land, with reference to the encroachments of the Marylanders on lands situated in the southern part of Lancaster County. These Marylanders were already attempting to make settlements west of the Susquehanna, in the present area of York County. Feel- ing assured that he could obtain the con- sent of the small tribes of Indians along the Susquehanna to lay off a large manor, as the proprietary's one-tenth, he proceeded to Conestoga, early in June, 1722. Here he called together the Conestogas, the Shaw- anese, who lived farther up the river, and the Ganawese, afterwards known as the Conoys, who lived above the site of Column- bia. He had authority from the heirs of William Penn to lay off a manor west of the river for the benefit of Springett Penn, the favorite grandson of the founder of Penn- sylvania and son of Richard Penn.

Governor Keith's visit to the Indians at Conestoga in June, 1721, produced a strong impression upon the minds of the aborigines whom he met. The chiefs of the Five Na- tions who had been present at this confer- ence, told of its success to their people. The Conestogas and other local tribes along the Susquehanna River seemed to look upon the lieutenant-governor with almost the same favor and regard which they had en- tertained for William Penn. It has often been stated that the Indians never forgot a treaty or an agreement, if white settlers treated them with proper regard. Knowing of this excellent characteristic of the red men, and already learning of the encroach- The conference with the local tribes of Indians ment of Maryland settlers on lands west of Keith Addresses the Indians. first met on June 15. It was near the banks of the the Susquehanna. Keith determined to se- cure a right and title to a part of these lands. He laid this plan for the purpose of Susquehanna on this occasion, that Sir Wil- securing this title before he went to the liam Keith, with persuasive eloquence,

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

commended the Indians for their virtues, praised them for what they had already done for William Penn and his heirs, and obtained their consent again to cross the river and make a survey of 70,000 acres. The entire speech of Governor Keith and the response made by the. Indian chief, are productions of so much interest, that they are given in full, and read as follows :

Friends and Brothers-You say you love me because I come from your father, Wil- liam Penn, to follow his peaceable ways, and to fulfill all his kind promises to the In- dians. You call me William Penn, and I am very proud of the name you give me ; But if we have a true love for the memory of William Penn, we must show it to his family and to his children that are grown up to be men in England, and will soon come over to represent him here. The last time I was with you at Conestoga, you showed me a parchment which you had re- ceived from William Penn, containing many articles of friendship between him and you. and between his children and your chil- dren. You then told me he desired you to remember it well for three generations, but I hope you and your children will never forget it. That parchment fully declared your consent to William Penn's purchase and right to the lands on both sides of the Susquehanna. But I find both you and we are likely to be disturbed by idle people from Maryland, and also by others who have presumed to survey land on the banks of the Susquehanna, without any powers from William Penn or his children to whom they belong, and without so much as ask- ing your consent.

I am therefore now come to hold a Coun- cil and consult with you how to prevent such unjust practices for the future, and hereby we will show our love and respect for the great William Penn's children who inherit their father's estate in this country, and have a just right to the hearty love and friendship of all the Indians promised to them in many treaties. I have fully con- sidered this thing, and if you approve my thoughts, I will immediately cause to take up a large tract of land on the other side of the Susquehanna for Springett Penn, the grandson of William Penn, who is now a man as tall as I am; for when the land is

marked with his name upon the trees it will keep off the Marylanders and every other person whatsoever from coming to settle near you to disturb you. And he bearing the same kind heart to the Indians, which his grandfather did, will be glad to give you any part of his land for your own use and convenience; but if other people take it up they will make settlements upon it and then it will not be in his power to give to you as you want it.

Those who have any wisdom amongst you must see and be convinced that what I now say is entirely for your good, for this will effectually hinder and prevent any per- son from settling lands on the other side of the Susquehanna, according to your own desire, and consequently you will be secure from being disturbed by ill neighbors and have all lands at the same time in your own power to make use of. This will also beget a true hearty love and friendship between you, your children, and the great William Penn's grandson, who is now lord of all this country in the room of his grand- father. It is therefore fit and necessary for you to begin as soon as you can to express your respect and love to him; he expects it from you according to your promises in many treaties, and he will take it very kindly. Consider then, my brothers, that I am now giving you an opportunity to speak your thoughts lovingly and freely unto this brave young man, William Penn's grandson; and I, whom you know to be your true friend will take care to write down your words, and to send them to England to this gentleman, who will return you a kind answer, and so your hearts will be made glad to see that the great William Penn still lives in his children to love and serve the Indians.

The council was continued on the next day. the following being the minutes of that meeting :-

At a council with the Indians held at Conestoga, June 16th, 1722.

Present :

Sir WILLIAM KEITH, Bart., Governor. Col. John French & Francis Worley, Esqs.

The Chiefs of the Conestoga, Shawanese and Ganaway Indians ; Smith and James Le Tort, Interpreters.

SPRINGETTSBURY MANOR

The Indians spoke in answer by Tawena, according to the in-

Tawena's Reply. terpreters, as follows :-

They have considered of what the Governor proposed to them yesterday ; and think it a matter of very great import- ance to them to hinder the Marylanders from settling or taking up lands so near them upon the Susquehanna. They very much approve what the Governor spoke, and like his Council to them very well, but they are not willing to discourse particu- larly on the business of lands lest the Five Nations may reproach or blame them.

They declare again their satisfaction with all that the Governor said yesterday to them in council; and although they know that the Five Nations have not yet any right to these lands, and that four of the tribes do not pretend to any, yet the fifthi tribe, viz .: the Cayugas, are always claim- ing some right to lands on the Susque- hanna, even where they themselves now live ; wherefore, they think it will be a very proper time when the Governor goes to Al- bany to settle that matter, with the Ca- yugas, and then all parties will be satisfied.

They ask the Governor whereabouts and what quantity of land does he propose to survey for Springett Penn. It is answered, from over against the mouth of Conestoga Creek up to the Governor's new settlement, and so far back from the river as no per- son can come to annoy or disturb them in their towns on this side.

They proceed and say, That they are at this time very apprehensive that people will come when the Governor is gone to Albany and survey this land, wherefore they earn- estly desire that the Governor will immedi- ately cause the Surveyor to come lay out the land for William Penn's grandson to se- cure them, and they doubt not but the Gov- ernor's appearance and conduct afterwards at Albany will make things easy there.

CHAPTER III SPRINGETTSBURY MANOR The First Survey-The Re-survey-Bio- graphical-Blunston's Licenses. THE FIRST SURVEY.

Copy of warrant for Survey of Springetts- bury Manor, Sir Wm. Keith, Bart, Governor of the province Pennsylvania, &c.

To Colonel John French, Francis Worley' & James Mitchell, Esqs. Whereas the three Nations of Indians settled on the North side of the River Susquehannah, in his Majesty's Peace & under the protec- tion of this Government, viz .: The Cone- stogas, The Shawanese, and The Ganawese, are very much disturbed, and the Peace of this Colony is hourly in danger of being broken by persons who pursuing their own private gain without any regard to justice, have attempted and others do still threaten to survey and take up lands on the South West Branch of the said river, right against the towns and settlements of the said In- dians, without any right or pretense of authority so to do, from the proprietor of this province unto whom the lands un- questionably belong. And whereas, it is reasonable and agreeable to former treaties with the Indians that a sufficient quantity of land upon the south west side of the river Susquehanna be reserved in the pro- prietor's hands for accommodating the said Indian Nations when it may hereafter be thought proper and convenient for them to remove their settlements further from the Christian inhabitants.

And lastly, Whereas, at a treaty held between the Indians and me at Conestoga, the 15th and the 16th days of this instant, They did earnestly desire and request me forthwith to cause a large tract of land right against their towns upon Susque- hanna, to be surveyed and located for the proprietor's use only; because, from his bounty of goodness, they would always be sure to obtain whatever was necessary and convenient for them from time to time.

These are therefore, by virtue of the powers wherewith I am entrusted for the preservation of his Majesty's peace in this province and with a due and perfect regard to the proprietor's absolute title and un- questionable rights to authorize, impower and command you, the said Colonel John French, Francis Worley and James Mitch- ell, with such of the neighboring inhabi- tants as you shall think fit to call to your as- sistance immediately to cross the River Susquehanna, and to survey or cause to be surveyed, marked and located the quantity of 70,000 acres or thereabouts, in the name and for the use of Springett Penn. Esq.,

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

which shall bear the name and be called The Manor of Springettsbury, Beginning your survey as near as you can upon the south west bank of the river Susquehanna, over against the mouth of Conestoga Creek; from thence by line W. S. W. distance ten miles more or less; thence by line N. WV. by N. twelve more or less; thence by line E. N. E. until you meet with the upper- most corner tree of my settlement called Newberry ; from thence S. E. b S. along my head line until you come at my southern corner tree in the woods; from thence down the side line of my land E. N. E. until you come at. the river Susquehanna. and from thence by the said river's side unto the place where you first begin, which line will be fourth side of the said survey, and when it is done, and finished, you are to make a return thereof upon the back of this warrant unto the Governor and Coun- cil of Pennsylvania : For which this shall be unto you, the said Colonel John French. Francis Worley and every of you, a suf- ficient warrant, power and authority. Given under my hand and seal at Cone- stoga, the 18th day of June, in the 8th year of our Sovereign Lord George I, Annoq. Dom. 1722.

Signed,

WV. KEITH.

To his Excellency the Gover-

Report of nor and the Honorable Coun- the Survey. cil of Pennsylvania.

May it please your Excel-

lency :

In obedience to the within Warrant to us directed, We did, upon the nineteenth and twentieth days of this instant, June, begin and complete the survey of the Manor of Springettsbury upon the river Susquehanna in manner following, viz .: from a red oak upon the said river (by a run's side called Penn's Run) mark'd S. P .; west south west ten miles to a chestnut (by run's side called French's Run) mark'd S. P .; from thence north west and by north to a black oak mark'd S. P. twelve miles ; from thence east north east to Sir William Keith's western corner tree in the woods eight iniles; from thence along the south east and north east lines of the said Sir Wil- liam Keith's tract called Newberry into the river Susquehanna again, and from thence along the river side to the place of beginning. The whole containing seventy-

five Thousand five Hundred and twenty acres, according to a Plan thereof hereunto annexed, all which is humbly submitted by Y'r Excellency's Most humble and obedient Servants, John French, Fran. Worle, Ja. Mitchell. At Newberry, June 21, 1722. The exact positions and Boundaries of boundary lines of the orig- Springettsbury inal Springettsbury Manor,

Manor. were never thoroughly un- derstood or marked on any maps of York County until the year 1898. Robert C. Bair, a member of the York County Bar, upon examining some official papers and records in the county Court House, and at Harrisburg, was enabled to describe and identify the exact position of the manor as first laid out by Sir William Keith in 1722. These boundary lines are designated by the following description given by Mr. Bair: "Beginning opposite the mouth of Conestoga Creek at a run called Penn's Run (Lockport Run, in Chanceford Township) and running thence southwest by west ten miles by French's Creek (a stream flowing into Muddy Creek near Felton). Thence northwest by north twelve miles to a point in Manchester Township north of York. Thence north- east by east eight miles to uppermost cor- ner tree of Governor Keith's Mine or New- berry Tract. Thence along the southeast and northeast lines of said Mine or New- berry Tract into the Susquehanna again, and from thence along the river side to the place of beginning, containing 75,500 acres according to a plan thereof hereto annexed. Signed at Newberry, June 21, 1722."

Hon. John Gibson, Presi- dent Judge of the York

Controversy About County Courts, prepared the the Survey. following exhaustive state- ment, relating to Springetts- bury Manor :

The proceedings of the treaty of Cone- stoga were communicated to the Provincial Council on the 2nd of July, 1722. But that body declared that so far as they concerned or touched with the proprietary affairs they were not judged to lie before the Board, which acted as a council of state, and not as commissioners of property.

Map E.

MARYLAND SURVEYS

" "Solitude"

1723

"8" "Podanaram"

1731.

"" "Son James' Park" 1736

"" "Wilderness"

1731

'E" "Bear Istona"

173/

Plantation

SUSQUEMAN.

NEWI

ViJohn

Kerti

40°

10am

White

MAN

good SPRINGETFSBURY

SurVO

MONOCACY)

RET.

TOWN

JOPP

ـر

Choice

TOWN

6610

18"

Moson and Diron Line

This!

MAP Illustrating text of Early Surveys Wes Historical Ossign, Robert C. Buir

1900

Canais or .Ganowese Indian Tostn

DOI

James La Torts

Harris'

Survey

By Maryland

"Cohado*

1730

Piers & Higenbotham

1736

"K" "Diggs' Choice"

1731

nope)

ORIGIN

TOWN

LINIC

Relocated between 64,500 Acres

ROOD

YORK

Road

"Pleasant Garden"

1729

"" "Thomas His Lot" 1736

"" "Isles of Promise" 1729

Northermost

Conestoga and Shawnee Indian Hunting Grounds from the Susquehan

WARWICK

EARL

PETRA BAZILLION IndIO!

(Manco Gradi)

"New"

Nollona

EGAL

Mar

James Michel

Swiss Settlements Part of

HEMPFIE

in Kundig & John Heer

T. Miladela

CONESTO

Conejohala

THE

Susquehannock Indian Town

ONESTOGA

of 10,00

Grant to

8ªmo.

100 H10

Log

ONESTOGA

Cressags

Inchan Town

Francis Wone

True

West

ine From Southtimest

port ( South St) of Philadelphia

2 Acres

SADSBURY

QUANHOLDERS FERRY

Rapta a

BUTTON

INDIAN

2000

STATE

old

forks

Mundy Crees

-0

Muddy

daltimor

Cree

Auchbarom

Surveyed

May

Sto Aug

1765

of the Susquehanna River

Drottsman, W A Moore

Palatines

Howe30

Oindian Fort

MANQA

Swiss Settlements Part Martin Visa

Balenores Computed

+03 Parallel

Forg

CONESTOGAST

Rock

VGETTSBURY 0" June 1722

Opessans 4MOL 22UMOUS

lestr Francis Worley

RESERVATION

River

Road

BURKROLL

River to the Potomac

RUMORE

will island

Samuel Biuston

Deckenatight) Shawnee Indian Town

Part of $ 10,0000; Grant to Palatine

40°

Indian kaple Orchards

SPRINGETTSBURY MANOR

Colonel French, one of the surveyors. who executed the warrant, then undertook to vindicate the conduct of Sir William Keith to the Council, stating that "the war- rant specified his true reasons: and that it was. under all the circumstances, the only effectual measure for quieting the minds of the Indians and preserving the public peace." The warrant and survey could not be returned into the land office at that time ; for it was said, that the land office continued to be closed from the death of William Penn in 1718 until the arrival of Thomas Penn in 1732. Nor does it appear that they were ever filed in the land office at any subse- quent period. (Penn vs. Kline, 4 Dallas, 405. ) But it is elsewhere said : "It has gen- erally been supposed that the land office was closed from the year 1718, when Wil- liam Penn died, until the arrival of Thomas Penn in the year 1732. It may be suggested that there were other reasons why the sur- vey was not returned into the land office at that or any other time. The warrant itself was not issued from the land office, but un- der the private seal of Gov. Keith. at Cone- stoga. The land had not been purchased from the Indians, the office was not open for the sale of them, and it was out of the usual course to grant warrants for unpur- chased lands. The Council on the report of the proceedings seemed cautious about it, and refused to interfere further than to per- mit the warrant, and return of survey to be entered on their minutes." Although Colo- nel French defended the proceedings, be- cause the facts and circumstances recited in the warrant were truly stated. "and in his opinion of Springett Penn, in whose name the warrant was issued, was the late pro- prietor's heir-at-law, and whatever turn the affairs of that family might take to resettle the property and dominion of the province. he did not conceive this measure would be interpreted or deemed to the prejudice of a family for whose service it was so plainly meant and intended. But although the land was out of the purchases. as the Indians consented to the survey. the measure itself cannot but be considered as having been founded on the soundest and wisest policy, and Sir William Keith conducted himself with great zeal for the proprietary interest." ( II Smith's Laws, note.)

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 5

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