History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 116

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 116

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During the year 1885, the school board, composed of Henry Wirt, Washington Bair, William Heltzel, William A. Slagle, Charles Trone, William Albright, D. D. Ehrhart and William F. Stair built a well-planned school- house in the Third Ward. The lot was bought from Cornelius Young for $2,000. The building, from an excellent design of J. A. Dempwolf, cost about $15,000.

Dr. F. A. H. Koch and Howard Young, became members of the board in June 1885.

MANUFACTURES.

The rich agricultural lands surrounding Hanover naturally brought about the manu- facture of farming implements. The first in- dustry of importance of this kind was wagon- making. When pleasure carriages became common, and there were great demands for them, a number of persons were engaged in their manufacture. Joseph and Samuel Alt- hoff, William and Andrew Soliday, George Thomas and others each made them on an extensive scale, before the civil war. About 1870 the business rapidly declined, although there are yet a large number made.

Tanning was a profitable industry, at an early day. Jacob Forney did a large business half a century ago. He was followed by Hen- ry Winebrenner. Matthias Forney, George Nace, George Thomas and Cornelius Young were engaged in this business on a somewhat extensive scale. Michael Etzler now owns the only tannery in operation in Hanover.

Conrad Moul, in 1852, began to make the first reapers that were manufactured in York County. He started this business at his home, then north of the toll-gate, on Abbottstown Street, and afterward built a shop in town. He obtained the shop-right to make the Hussey reaper and mower. The first year he made four machines and sold three of them;

the second year he made a few more and dis- posed of all of them. In 1854 he exhibited one of his reapers and mowers at the York County fair, where it attracted great atten- tion, it being the first and only machine of the kind on exhibition. The following year he began to make them in great numbers, and employed many hands to construct them. He afterward made a few of the "Dorsey," and a large number of the "Ball" and "John- ston" machines. He prepared all of the wood work in his own shops and obtained the cast- ings at the Fitz Foundry, then in full opera- tion.

Daniel Flickinger commenced to make the "Manny" reaper and mower, in 1855, and John and Peter Flickinger the next year began the manufacture of the same machine. They soon after obtained the county right to make the " Dorsey " reaper, which was the first machine to successfully use the self rake. The castings were made in their own foundry, in which they also made a great many thrash- ing machines and other agricultural im- plements.

Mr. Mummau started the first foundry in the vicinity of Hanover, about one mile from town, on the York road, and kept it in opera- tion but a short time.

Jacob Fitz, as a young man, began the same business in a shop on his father's farm, north of the village. of Jefferson. In 1838, he moved to Hanover and started a foundry, which afterward proved to be one of the most extensive manufacturing enterprises the town has ever had. He made many varieties of agricultural implements. Nearly all of the first thrashing machines used over a large section of country, were made at his establishment on Abbottstown Street. In 1848, and for several years later he made as many as 300 thrashers annually and em- ployed from thirty to forty workmen.

The large five-story brick grist-mill, near the foundry, was built in 1863, at a cost of $30,000. It then contained four burrs, three for flour and one for chopping. They were driven by a fifty horse-power engine. This mill was purchased in 1885 by George Kline- felter and Charles E. Moul, who refitted it and placed in it improved machinery. Its capacity is ninety barrels of flour per day.

Conrad Moul & Co's planing-mill, sash factory, etc., on Chestnut Street, employs about thirty workmen regularly, and is in continual operation.

The canning of fruits and vegetables is carried on extensively by David E. Winebren- ner, who employs, during the summer months, from 150 to 200 men, women and

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children. This is a valuable industry to the town.

The business of manufacturing cigars gives employment to more persons in Hanover now than any other industry. There are several important factories in continual operation. Among them are those of Daniel F. Stair, Jesse Frysinger, Charles Bowman, J. Bair, Harry Trone and L. Paff.

J. S. Young & Co., for a number of years, have made, on a very large scale, flavine and extract of quercitron from bark. Immense quantities of bark are annually consumed at their establishment, which consists of about a dozen buildings. The same firm conducts a similar business in Baltimore.

The large flouring-mill of Welsh, Sleeder & Co., built a few years ago, is now manu- facturing a superior quality of flour, by the new process. The brand of flour here made has gained an enviable reputation, and is meeting with a large sale.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

When the first apparatus for extinguishing fire was used in Hanover cannot now be de- termined, but the leather buckets were in readiness for use in 1780. Early in this century an engine was procured. After a fire, in the year 1820, a town meeting was held, and a petition was soon after presented to the council, asking that an engine, not to cost more than $800, be purchased, and that a tax be laid on the real estate within the borough to pay for it. In July, 1830, the town council purchased from Asa Cummings, of Boston, an engine which was called "The Tiger," at a cost of $275. Sometime after- ward another engine was obtained, which was called "The Lion." Both these engines are still in possession of the borough. In 1856 another engine was bought of a Baltimore firm for $450, and a reel to carry the hose was bought for $50. This engine was called "The Washington." The small building used for some years for the fire apparatus, was located on Chestnut Street. On this same spot the handsome two-story building was erected, at a cost of $3,800, by the town authorities, in 1882, under the administration of L. F. Melsheimer, as chief burgess. The upper story of this new brick building con- tains a spacious hall. In the lower story is kept all the fire apparatus ever owned by the company, including the beautiful and orna- mental "Silsby " steam fire-engine, purchased in 1881, at a cost of $3,300; at the same time 1,040 feet of hose were bought for $1,000.

THE GAS COMPANY.

. The Hanover Gas Company received its charter January 8, 1870, and the works were built in the summer of the same year, by John L. Kuehn, of York, along the Littles- town Railroad, near the depot. Capt. A. W. Eichelberger, was elected president, and L. F. Melsheimer, secretary, at the time of the organization; both have remained continu-

ously in office to this writing. The other di- rectors are George N. Forney, R. M. Wirt, John R. Stine, Stephen Keefer and H. Y. Sprenkle. The company consumes about 250 tons of bituminous coal in a year in the manufacture of gas, which is furnished at $3 per thousand cubic feet. There are now about 200 consumers.

THE WATER COMPANY.

The Water Company was organized April 25, 1872. The source of supply is an excel- lent quality of chalybeate water, from "Gitt's Spring," on the southern slope of the Pidg- eon Hills. not far distant from a rich vein of iron ore, through which the water passes. It is the ingredient known as protoxide of iron, that gives to this water its healthful and invigorating properties, and is much val- ued as a blood purifier. The water is brought in six inch iron pipes from the source, 18,000 feet northwest of Hanover. The person who used every energy to organize the water com- pany, was the late C. C. Wirt, who became the first secretary. He also originated other needed public improvements in Hanover, but died early in life. The engineer of the com- pany was R. K. Martin, of Baltimore Water Works. The reservoir is 200 feet above the highest point of the square, in which the beautiful fountain is now located. An ad- ditional reservoir was built during the year 1884, near the first one, to increase the sup- ply. The original board of directors con- sisted of the following-named persons: Jo- seph Dellone, president; C. C. Wirt, secre- tary; Henry Wirt, George W. Welsh, N. B. Carver and W. J. Young.

VISIT OF GEN. WASHINGTON.

On the afternoon of Friday, July 1, 1791, Gen. Washington arrived in Hanover, com- ing from the southwest, on his return from his great Southern tour to Philadelphia, which was then the capital of the United States. He had but few attendants and re- mained over night with Paul Metzgar who then kept a store and public inn on the corner now occupied by Grumbine & Brock- . ley. This event occurred during the third

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year of his first term as President of the United States.

Tradition says, on the following morning he walked down Baltimore Street and ob- served men reaping wheat. Soon afterward he started for York, arriving there at 2 P. M. (See History of Borough of York, page 553.)

BALTIMORE DEFENDERS.

At the time of the advance of the British on Baltimore in 1814 Hanover and vicinity furnished two companies. The rank and file of the one company was as follows:

Captain, Frederick Metzgar; first lieutenant, Henry Wirt; second lieutenant, George Im- mel; ensign, George Eiler; non-commissioned officers and privates, Joseph Morris, George Hoke, Samuel Himes, Jacob Hostetter, Jr., John Myers, John Bargelt, Tobias Beck, Leonard Buvinger, George Morningstar, John Dines, Thomas Jarvis, Jesse Horn, John Bange, Solomon Kuhn, Daniel Little, Henry Melsheimer, Henry Klein, David Shultz, John Reider, William , Jacob Waggoner, George Stauter, Benjamin Welsh, Christian Hass, Samuel Hawks, Henry Bange, David Storm, Edward Richard. George Myers, William Hoffman, Anthony Shorb, John Michael, David Blinzinger, Henry Stock, Jacob Cramer, John Douglass, John Weigle, Daniel Stoehr, Philip Apple, Jacob Hilt.

The other company was commanded by Capt. John Bair. The only names that are now known, of soldiers who formed the rank and file are George Frysinger, Frederick Messing, Jacob Young, Frederick Bittinger, George Grove, John P. Storm, Samuel Flickinger, Adam Forney, George Grumbine, Samuel Weigle and John Beard.

These two companies left Hanover on foot Sunday morning, August 28, 1814, and reached the city of Baltimore at 9 A. M., Tuesday. September 11, they were marched to North Point, where they lay all night on their arms, and next day, the mem- orable 12th of September, they took part in the engagement with the British, who re- treated soon after, and the Hanover Com- panies together with other companies from York County, returned home after two weeks' service, not being needed longer. For the history of the engagement in Hanover in 1863, see page 212.

MILITARY AND MUSICAL.

The United Blues was a military company of riflemen, organized by Capt. A. W. Eichel- berger. The company was composed of

sixty men, in full uniform, and continued to drill for seven years.

The Fourth Dragoons was a company or- ganized in 1852, composed of fifty men. It was a cavalry company, having a full uni- form of blue coat, light blue pantaloons, with cavalry sabres, furnished by the State, and was commanded by Capt. Eichelberger. They drilled once a month, for five years, on the Public Common.

The Warren Greys, commanded by Capt. Luther Skinner, was an excellently drilled volunteer company, in grey uniform.

The Marion Rifle Company, commanded by Capt. Renaut, was a company in excellent trim. About the time the Civil war began most of the members entered the service.

The Union Band was organized in the year 1852, through the efforts of Capt. D. Q. Albright, who was its leader. This was an excellent musical organization, and was frequently invited to neighboring towns on important occasions. It was familiarly known as the "Silver Band," owing to the magnificent Tyrolese silver instruments, which were purchased at a cost of $1,000. One of the pieces, an E-flat cornet, cost $100, and was played by H. Clay Metzger. The elegant wagon used by the band cost $500. In the year 1863, the organization disbanded. This was during the trying times of the Civil war, and many of its members entered the military service.

The Hanover Silver Cornet Band is a well trained organization, which has existed for many years.

The Citizens Band is a new organization led by Prof. Gundrum.

FAIRS.

The old-time fairs were kept up in Hanover later than in many neighboring towns. They attracted large crowds of people, who spent the time in general enjoyment. The square on these occasions was nearly filled with tables of venders of trinkets, jewelry and merchandise of various kinds. These fairs finally became a sort of nuisance and were discontinued.

HOTELS.

The Farmer's Inn was one of the old-time houses of public entertainment on Baltimore Street. It was an important stopping place for drovers and teamsters, who followed the business of hauling produce and grain to Baltimore, and returned with goods and mer- chandise on the way to their homes in nor- thern counties. Teams to and from Pitts- burgh frequently stopped here. J. Lamotte opened this hotel about 1800, and was fol-

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lowed by George Emmert, aud he by Peter Shultz for many years. William Albright succeeded in 1843; his son, D. Q. Albright, in 1847, and Jeremiah Diehl in 1852. Three years later the hotel closed.

The Diller House was built by Major Cyrus Diller, in 1870, at a cost of $14,000. It is a large, five-story building, heated by steam, and possesses all the needs of a first- class hotel. A. F. Barker is proprietor.

The Central Hotel, on Fountain Square, has long been a prominent stopping place for travelers ; Arnold Kleff, proprietor. On the same site, for half a century, stood the tavern known as the "Stage Office." It was the stopping place for stages going east and west, and north and south. Ja- cob Eichelberger was then the owner. Davis Garber is the present owner.

The Franklin House, on York Street, long kept by Mr. Ruth, now by Frank Mckinney, and the Drover's Hotel, on Carlisle Street, have long been prominent stopping places for farmers. Heidelberg House is located on Abbottstown Street.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

Col. Richard McAllister, founder of the town of Hanover, was of Scotch descent. Mac is the Scotch name for son, hence Mac Allister, the original way of spelling the name, means son of Allister.

Archibald McAllister and his brother, came from Scotland about 1732, the former settled near Big Spring, Cumberland Co., Penn., and the latter went to Virginia.

The eldest son of Archibald was Richard, the subject of this sketch, who, on February 23, 1748, married Mary Dill, daughter of Col. Matthew Dill, who lived in the vicinity of the present town of Dillsburg, this coun- ty. Richard McAllister moved to the vicinity of Hanover about 1745. His chil- dren were Jane, born March 3, 1750, and married Robert White, of Georgetown, D. C .; Abdiel, born January 30, 1752; he was commissioned second lieutenant January 9, 1776, and went on Montgomery's expedition to Quebec, during the Revolution; Mary Ann, born February 12, 1754; Archibald, born April 17, 1756, great-grandfather of Dickinson McAllister, who now lives at Fort Hunter, Penn., married Elizabeth Carson, in 1785, and settled near Harrisburg; he was a captain in the Revolution, and commanded his company in the battle of Monmouth, in New Jersey, died 1831; Matthew, born May 4, 1758, married Hannah Gibbons, went to Savannah, Ga., and became the first United States district attorney of that State;

judge of the superior court of the State, and mayor of Savannah during the war of 1812, and died May 9, 1823; Ward McAllister, of New York City, and Col. Julian McAllister, of the State Arsenal, California, are his sons; Nancy, born Feb- ruary 4, 1760; Elizabeth, born October 10, 1761; Richard, born August 28, 1763; Sarah, born April 28, 1765; Margaret, born February 22, 1767; Jesse, born December 23, 1768. In all, there were eleven children. Richard Mc- Allister soon became one of the most prominent persons in York County. Early in the trou- bles between the colonies and England, he took an active part. He was elected one of the Committee of Observation and Safety in 1775; was chosen a member of the Provin- cial Conference, of June 18, 1775, which met in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia; was next chosen a member of the Provincial Con- ference, of January 18, 1776, and next became colonel of the Second Battaliou of the York County Associators; was elected by the general assembly of Pennsylvania county lieutenant; on June 4, 1778, to superintend the organi- zation of the militia of York County, and afterward became one of the committee to settle the accounts of the county lieutenants of the State. He was a member of the Su- preme Executive Council, of the State of Pennsylvania, during the years 1783-84-85- 86, and was a member of the Council of Censors. He was foreman of the jury at the York County Court perhaps more frequently than any other person of his period.

He was commissioned justice of the peace and justice of the court of common pleas un- der the colonial government in March 1771, and under the first constitution of Pennsyl- vania in 1776, and on September 17, 1784, be- came presiding justice of the court of the Common Pleas of York County. It will thus be seen that he held many responsible posi- tions and was held in high esteem for his administrative and executive abilities. He died in Hanover at 4 o'clock in the evening, October 7, 1795. His remains lie in Mount Olivet Cemetery. His wife died a few years before him.

Gen. Jacob Eyster, eldest son of George Eyster and Mary Slagle (sister of Col. Henry Slagle), was born near Hanover, June 8, 1782, and was a descendant of John Jacob Eyster, of the kingdom of Wurtemburg. Dur- ing the war of 1812 he was employed by the secretary of war (Armstrong) and the gov- ernor of Pennsylvania, to distribute arms among the militia of Pennsylvania. He was elected a member of the State senate in 1819, was re-elected and resigned in 1824,

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being chosen deputy surveyor general of Pennsylvania, and afterward became presi- dent of the bank of Harrisburg. He died in that city March 24, 1858.

DISTINGUISHED ENTOMOLOGISTS.

Says Dr. H. A. Hagan, professor of ento- mology in Harvard College at Cambridge, Mass. : "The Melsheimers of York County, Penn., have been considered by the English entomologist Th. Say, to be the fathers of en- tomology in the United States." Dr. Carl Zimmermann the distinguished scientist, in order to know all that could be learned of the elder Melsheimer, visited Hanover in 1834, before the time of railroads. From his manuscript diary was found the following:

"From York, Penn., I walked eighteen miles to the southwest to Hanover, where I arrived January 7, 1834. Introduced to a Mr. Lange, the editor of the Hanover Ga- zette, I was informed that the older Melshei- mer died twenty years before. Mr. Lange had been well acquainted with him, and the widow and several children are still living in the town. The following I copied out from the obituary in the Hanover Gazette:

" 'Friedrich Valentin Melsheimer, minis- ter of the Evangelic-Lutheran Church in Hanover, died June 30, 1814, in consequence of a lung disease of thirty years' duration, sixty-four years, ten months and seven days old. He was born September 25, 1749, at Negenborn, in the dukedom of Brunswick. His father, Joachim Sebastian Melsheimer, was superintendent of forestry to the duke. F. V. Melsheimer was sent, in 1756,'to school in Holzminden; in 1769 he went to the uni- versity in Helmstædt. He received, 1776, the appointment as chaplain to a regiment, which he accompanied to America, and ar- rived July Ist, in Quebec. In 1779 he came to Bethlehem, Penn., and married, June 3, Mary Agnes Mann, by whom he had eleven children. From August 19, 1789, he was minister in Hanover, Pa.'"

Dr. Zimmermann called on Mrs. Melshei- mer, and was told by her and her daughter that after his death his eldest son, John Friedrich Melsheimer, succeeded his father as minister, whose love for natural history he had inherited, together with his collection and library. Rev. J. F. Melsheimer is the entomologist quoted so often by Th. Say, in his American Entomology by Anthicus bicolor. The father, F. V. Melsheimer, was in correspondence with the well known Ger- man entomologist, A. W. Knoch, in Bruns- wick, who states in the volume before men- tioned that up to 1801 he had received from

him over 700 American insects. He gives still very valuable descriptions of twenty-three species.

F. V. Melsheimer published the well known catalogue, "Insects of Pennsylvania," in 1806. It contained sixty pages.

This is a work much sought after, but now very rare. It contained a description and classification of 1,363 species of beetles, the first work of the kind ever published in America. Dr. Knoch of Germany printed & book in 1801, dedicated to F. V. Melsheimer; it is now in the Harvard Museum. Rev. John Melsheimer died about 1830 and his brother, Ernst Frederick Melsheimer, M. D., inherited the collection and library of father and brother who had done so much for ento- mological science. He removed to Davids. burg in Dover Township. The celebrated. Dr. Zimmermann, when on his visit to Han- over, went to Davidsburg to visit Dr. Mel- sheimer, and in his diary is found the fol- lowing :

"The house rudely constructed with boards, painted red, stood all alone in the middle of a forest. His wife was at the spinning wheel. The reception was indeed a very cordial one, and when he heard that his father's book was well known, and mentioned in German, English and French works, which he never dreamed of, he became ani- mated and talked with great interest on entomological matters and hooks."

Dr. Zimmermann wondered at this and soon found that Dr. Melsheimer himself was a devotee of the science as well as his deceased father and brother. They looked over the col- lection of specimens which were kept in good order, and all the labels of his father's hand- writing were correctly attached. Twice more in 1839, Dr. Zimmermann visited Mel- sheimer in company with Rev. D. Ziegler, of York, who then began to turn his attention to. entomology.

In 1842 the Entomological Society of Penn- sylvania was formed, and Dr. Melsheimer, of Davidsburg was chosen president in 1853. The only survivor of this society now is Dr. J. G. Morris, of Baltimore. The object of this society was to publish a catalogue of the known coleoptera of the United States. Pastor Ziegler and Dr. Melsheimer were co-laborers in this important work, and the book was soon after published, and is now very valuable in scientific circles. The work was revised by the late Prof. S. S. Haldeman and J. L. LeConte in 1853, and published by the Smithsonian Institute at Washington. Dr. Frederick, Ernest Mel- sheimer, the third of the name who won

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

fame in the science of entomology, died at Davidsburg, March 10, 1873, aged ninety one years. He was born in Hanover, 1782, and graduated in medicine in Baltimore. His father, brother and himself were known throughout Europe by the great naturalists.

The Melsheimer Collection of entomolog- ical specimens was sold by Dr. Melsheimer in 1864, to the distinguished naturalist Prof. Louis Agassiz, who also bought the collection then owned by Rev. D. Ziegler. They are now highly prized and are in the museum at Harvard College, Massachusetts. The Mel- sheimer collections, when sold, filled 41 wooden boxes 102x14 inches and 2 inches high, each one lined inside with Helianthus pith. The price paid was $250. It contained, netto, 5,302 species with 14,774, specimens. Of this number 2,200 species belonged to the United States; 1,894 species from Europe; 422 from Brazil, 8 from Mexico; 9 from West Indies; 4 from Siberia; China, 74; Java, S; Africa, 39; Australia, 14. The other insects were, Hymenoptera, 148 species; Hemipteran, 28; Europeau Diptera, 90; Lepidoptera, none.

The contents of the Ziegler collection were, after the the same report, netto, 5,302 species, with 11,837 specimens. United States Coleoptera, 1,794 species with 6,262 specimens. From Europe, 1,729 species; Brazil, 378; Mexico, 34; West Indies, 40; Siberia, 21; China, 55; Java, 12; Africa, 110; Australia, 14, besides Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Dip- tera. The Ziegler collection filled a cabinet with 45 boxes in three rows. The boxes are a little smaller than the Melsheimer ones, the bottom of plain wood, the cover with a pane of glass. Every species had a square written label on the pin, with the name and the locality.

Among the former citizens of Hanover who held official position were associate judges. Jacob Rudisill, Henry Slagle, John L. Hin- kle and David Newcomer whose biographies appear in the chapter on the "Bench and Bar" in this work. A sketch of Congress- man Jacob Hostetter, appears in the chapter on "Historical Biography." Other citizens of note in Hanover who are now deceased were Dr. Henry W. Wampler, W. D. Gobrecht, Christian Henry and Jacob Wirt; Adam, Philip, Marks, Jacob Forney, and Matthias N. Forney, Jacob Eichelberger, George Nace, Henry Danner, Elder Metzger, Dr. J. P. Smith, D. P. Lange and Dr. Cul- bertson. Jacob Tome, the great financier, who now resides at Port Deposit, Md., was born in. Hanover, August 13, 1810, of very humble German parentage. Michael Africa,

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 116

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104