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 145

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 145

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Salem Methodist Episcopal Church .- This building is historic as being the oldest Meth- odist Church in this section of the county. It is located in the extreme lower end of the township near the old Castle Fin Forge on the York & Peach Bottom public road. A church was built on the site where the pres- ent one stands in 1820. It stood until 1867, when the frame building now used was erected at a cost of $2,500. The old ceme- tery adjoining the church was laid out many years ago, and contains a large number of tombs.

McKendree Methodist Episcopal Church, is located on the York and Peach Bottom pub- lic road near Airville, aud is one of the oldest Methodist Churches of the lower end of the county. Religious meetings were previously held in barns and houses, by missionaries. The first church was built in 1825 and the present one in 1867, at a cost of $2,400.

Union Chapel. - This house of worship is located near Slab Postoffice and was built about 1874, greatly through the instrumen- tality of Christopher Witmer, Alexander Snodgrass and Sample Scott. It is a neat frame building with a burying ground adjoin- ing it. Regular services are now held by the Evangelical Association.

Pleasant Hill Church .- This church is lo- cated near Collinsville and was built about 1875, at a cost of $1,000, by the Evangelical Association.

YORK FURNACE.

This place as a postoffice and business center of the lower end of the county, has long been well known. John Bair, Esq., who has been prominently identified with its interest, was born in Lancaster County, May 25, 1816, and came to York Furnace in 1845,

to engage in the manufacture of iron, which interest is described elsewhere in this work. He also began the mercantile business, and in 1850 added the burning of lime as a fertil- izer on an extensive scale, and the manufact- ure of lumber at his own saw-mills at this place. In 1855 he began dealing in grain. Mr. Bair was married, in 1855, to Susan Groff, daughter of David Groff, of Lancas- ter County. They have two children, Robert Cobeen and Lizzie. R. C. Bair, the _son, is now a partner with his father. The article on the "Scotch-Irish," though not specially prepared for this work, was kindly furnished by him for publication. It is a well pre- pared paper, and contains much valuable in- formation.

John Bair & Co. are at present doing an extensive business of a varied character. They own a large number of canal-boats which run on the Susquehanna Canal, that passes York Furnace. A saw-mill run by water power, and one by steam power, are gener- ally in operation. This firm owns also a store of general merchandise, and deals in coal, lumber, grain, phosphates, railroad ties, bark and other products.

The hotel is kept by Elias W. Urey. Mr. Bair is the owner of 2,500 acres of land, most of which lies in York County.

YORK FURNACE BRIDGE.

·The Susquehanna River, at this point, is quite narrow. For several miles up the river from here it is very rocky, most of the water passes down on the Lancaster County side in a rapid current. In 1853 a company was formed, of which Mr. Bair was president and William Campbell secretary, with a capital stock of $40,900. A pier bridge, on the Burr plan, was built across the Susque- hanna consisting of four spans on the east side over the main channel, and one span on the west side. The bridge was commenced in 1855 and completed in 1857. It was nearly completed earlier and used from October, 1855, to April 5, 1856, when the super- structure of the four spans on the east side was blown over by'a wind storm and went down the river. It was rebuilt at a cost of $20,000. It was finished to within a few planks of the last span when the entire bridge was taken away by an ice-flood February 7, 1857, and has never since been rebuilt.

McCALL'S FERRY.

Early in our colonial history, this ferry was a prominent crossing place. Many of the first settlers came over the Susquehanna here,

745

LOWER CHANCEFORD TOWNSHIP.

and later, as described in the chapter on "Early Roads" in this book, it was on the line of a leading highway from Philadephia to the south and west. The shad fishing interest was very extensive at one time. William Kirkpatrick & Co., May 20, 1820, purchased a tannery and currying establishment near the river, which did a large business for many years. There is now a hamlet, with two stores and a hotel. The ferry is owned by Elias Fry. Richard Por- ter, on the 4th of March, 1816, advertised at private sale his "noted stand, in Lower Chanceford, on the great road leading from Philadelphia to the Western country, via McCall's bridge, about four miles from said bridge, seventy miles from Philadelphia and forty miles from Baltimore. The tract of land contains 160 acres, on which is a valua- ble store and tavern which has been in use twenty years."

An act of the legislature approved April 2, 1811, appropriated money to companies thereafter to be formed, to build bridges across the Susquehanna at Harrisburg, Northumberland and McCall's Ferry. A company was formed and the bridge was built here, between the beginning of the year 1815 and the close of the year 1816. In the fall of the last-named year, Thaddeus Stevens, then a young man on his way from Bel -Air to Lancaster, narrowly escaped drowning by his horse taking fright while crossing the bridge, "the superstructure of which was not quite finished." A flood, dur- ing the following year, took away the bridge and it was never rebuilt. The bridge prop- erty was sold by the sheriff in November, 1819.

CENTREVILLE.

Centreville is a hamlet about two miles south of Airville. It is familiarly known as "The Jack." Four hundred acres of the surround- ing land were once owned by "Jack" Dough- erty. In the year 1849, William C. Colvin bought the property, and built the large and commodious hotel. He conducted the hotel business himself for a number of years, and also owned a store. The store is now kept by Joseph Longenecker and the hotel by J. C. Fleming.

"Corner Ketch," not far distant, has a history which can not all be told, for lack of authentic information, When the Susque- hanna Canal was being constructed that tavern was the resort of the Irish and other workmen. It was claimed that the proprietor would "catch " all the money they earned, hence the origin of the name. There is no hotel now.

AIRVILLE.

Airville, formerly called McSherrysville, is a pleasantly located village in Lower Chance- ford, twenty two miles from York. Joseph McSherry came to the vicinity in 1796, at the age of four years, and grew to manhood with a Frenchman who was a nail-maker, and lived near the site of the United Brethren parsonage. He married when nineteen, and started a blacksmith shop, near the site of Joseph Pearce's store. He kept tavern for thirty-five years. The second house of the town was built by Aquila Montgomery, a colored man. Of this race there are now quite a number in the vicinity. Jackson McSherry built the next house, and afterward moved to Warrensburg, Mo. Frederick McSherry built a store house in 1846, on the site of Mr. Pearce's property, where he conducted the mercantile business until 1872, when he moved to his present stand. John Manifold conducted a store at an early period, and Robert McCollins opened one a short distance up the York road.

The first postoffice of the vicinity was called Lower Chanceford. William Cowan, now ninety-five years old, was postmaster in 1828 and for several years later. The office was then a mile from the site of the present town. The mail for many years was carried on horse back by a dwarf called "Little Philie Cole," over a route extending from York to Bel Air, Md. It took him one week to make the trip. "Little Philie" was a brave boy, and was afraid of nothing but thunder. If he saw an approaching storm, he would go into the nearest house and at once conceal himself in a feather bed, till it subsided.

Joseph McSherry succeeded Mr. Cowan as postmaster, and moved the postoffice to the new village. A change in the national administration made James McCall post- master who moved the office near to McCall's Ferry. The other postmasters since have been E. P. Skelton, Frederick McSherry in 1865. Since 1869 Joseph Pearce has held the office. William F. Smith is the physi- cian of the village. Drs. McDonald and Gordon, attended the sick of the community at an earlier date. Airville cornet band, con- sisting of sixteen pieces, was organized in 1874. N. B. McSherry is leader. Coplin . Hall was built, a number of years ago, for the meeting of literary societies, and for other public occasions. It contains a public · li- brary. S. B. McSherry was appointed post- master in 1885.

Orson's Mill, erected three-fourths of a

746

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

century ago, is now owned by D. W. Grove. In 1820, and later, John Patterson manu- factured wooden chairs in large quantities near Airville.

MUDDY CREEK FORKS POSTOFFICE.

A postoffice, with the above name, was es- tablished at this place March 4, 1835, and John Manifold appointed postmaster. He served continuously until March 25, 1878, when the present postmaster, J. P. Moffit was appointed. Near this place was Nicholson's Mill, which, by act of assembly of 1776, was made the common voting place for several township, of the lower end of the county, and continued so for many years. There are now no vestiges of the old mill, nor of Turner's nail factory and the fulling and carding mill, which stood near by.

WOODBINE.

A hamlet by this name is located on the York & Peach Bottom Railroad, twenty-eight miles from York, and twelve miles'from Peach Bot- tom, near the line between Lower Chance- ford and Fawn. The surrounding land was known in early history as "Spring Valley farm." In 1792 John Donnell advertised for sale the farm "of 400 acres fit for grass, hemp or wheat equal to any land in the south- east end of county, a fine growth of oak and hickory, and 100 acres of undergrowth of hazel, and thirty acres of timothy grass that could be mowed twice in a season; a fine ap- ple orchard; a merchant-mill recently built furnished with buhr and country stones; a saw-mill rebuilt three years ago. This mill is forty-five miles from Baltimore."

The name Woodbine originated when the railroad was completed, and was confirmed when a postoffice was established. George W. Ilgenfritz, of York. owns the mill, and T. H. Murphy conducts a general store, purchases grain and sells fertilizers.

Orson's Glen, near by, is a resort for pic- nic parties. The scenery along Orson's Run here is quite romantic.

Bridgeton, a short distance up the railroad, is an important business place.

THINGS OF THE PAST.

Before 1835 most of the wheat consumed in Lower Chanceford, was brought from near York. Frederick McSherry introduced the one horse tread threshing-machine in 1842. Before this date all the wheat of the township was threshed with the flail or by tramping with horses. In fact very little

wheat could be raised in the "lower end" before this date. In 1846 there were four such machines in Lower Chanceford. Every reader who is familiar with the fertility of the soil at present, and the abundance of the crops of this prosperous township, knows what important changes have taken place since 1840. It was about that year, possibly a little earlier, that William Cowan, Peter Smith, Robert Smith, John Kilgore, Na- thaniel Scott and others introduced lime as a fertilizer. The limestone was brought down from the valleys above, on the Susquehanna Canal, then just completed. It was burned in kilns built on the farms. Of late phos- phates and other fertilizers have wrought a marvellous change. "Sixty years ago," says an old citizen, "people went to Chanceford church on ox carts and two horse wagons. The church woods on Sabbath day were full of such teams. There were very few fences there." In 1830, a "Yankee" clock peddler visited the neighborhood with a "fancy buggy." Its appearance created a great deal of interest, because of the novelty. Rev. Dr. Martin, about this time, bought a gig, which was then a new vehicle to the sturdy Scotch-Irish.

Shad fishing was a very prosperous busi- ness half a century ago along the Susquehan- na, where it borders on Lower Chanceford. There were a number of good fisheries. William Cowan recalls the time when he saw 3,000 shad captured at one "haul," with a large seine, at "Jackson Battery," near Cul- ley's Falls. Immense numbers of them were caught in former times, and some are still caught at MeCall's and Shank's Ferries, and other points. The shad season was a rich harvest for rivermen; some fishermen, as employes, 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. "In fact," says an intelligent old cit- izen, "the shad fishing industry is what greatly helped to support the people of Lower Chanceford before 1840." Since that year the business has greatly declined. At Indian Steps, Fulton Rock, and at York Furnace many have been caught in large "scoop nets," in imitation of the nets by which this palat- able fish was caught by the aborigines. In 1825 about 800 were caught in one day in that way at Fulton Rock Fishery, now owned by John Bair of York Furnace ..

MILITARY.

The Lower Chanceford Volunteers, a com

747

LOWER CHANCEFORD TOWNSHIP.

pany of 100 uniformed men, were commanded by Capt. James Cameron. They were called out in 1844, at the time of the Philadelphia riots, but after going as far as Wrightsville on the way, the order was countermanded, as their services were not needed. John Mc- Pherson 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. McDonald, in Fawn Town- ship. Capt. Thompson commanded a volun- teer rifle company before the war. There was another volunteer company in the township. It had seventy seven members. John Stew - art, a Revolutionary soldier of Lower Chance- ford, died in 1820. He was the grandfather of Judge Stewart, late of Mansfield, Ohio. John McKinley, of Lower Chanceford, was a wagon master during the Revolution. This township during the civil war sent a great many soldiers "to the front." John Maugh- lin, who died a few years ago aged ninety- three, was one of the " old defenders" in the war of 1812.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Lower Chanceford was one of the first townships to accept the provisions of the act of 1834, establishing the common school sys- tem in Pennsylvania. There are now in the township thirteen schools, as follows: Castle Fin, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, River View, Centre, Chanceford, Spunk Hill, Orson's Run, Stone, Smith's, River Hill and Pleasant Grove Academy.

SOME HISTORICAL PERSONAGES.

Rev. Joshua Williams was born in Chester County, son of Lewis Williams, an emigrant from Wales. When he was two years old he moved with his parents to Lower Chanceford. He was one of the first pupils of York County Academy; entered Dickinson College and graduated in 1795, in the same class with Roger B. Taney, afterward Chief Justice of the United States. His intellectual powers were strong and vigorous, and he was very proficient in the science of Mental Philosophy. The title of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Jefferson College. He was pas- tor of the historic Paxton and Derry Churches in Dauphin County, from 1799 to 1802. He died August 21, 1838, while pastor of Big Spring Church, Cumberland County.

Hon. James Stewart, of Mansfield, Ohio, was born in Lower Chanceford, on the farm now owned by James W. Stewart; when yet young he removed with his parents to Seneca, Ontario Co., N. Y. After attaining man-

hood he was admitted to the bar, and soon after moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where he at once won distinction in his profession. He was elected president judge of the county court, and served two terms; he was after- ward chosen judge of the circuit court of Ohio, embracing several counties. He died in 1856. One of his daughters married the Hon. John Sherman, of Ohio, the distin- guished secretary, of the treasury, and five times elected United States . senator from Ohio, and brother of Gen. Sherman.

William Cowan, of Lower Chanceford, on January 24, 1885, was ninety-five years old. His parents, Robert and Catharine (Davison) 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 English. He paid 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 now is the last representative of Capt. Colvin's company of soldiers that marched in 1814 from York County to the defense of Baltimore when endangered by the invading English army. He describes with vividness the scenes which transpired about the time of the death of the British commander, Gen. Ross, and the retreat of his army. Capt Colvin's company of 150 men belonged to Chanceford, Hopewell and Fawn. They were nearly all tall men of fine stature. Hugb Long who lived near the Brogue was first lieutenant; J. McDonald, second lieutenant. The company met and started on the march from the farm now owned by David Wilson. They were in the service but fifty five days; after the retreat of the British they were discharged.

Mr. Cowan was born during Washington's first term. He remembers the election of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and went with some friends to the common voting place at the lower end, at Nicholson's Mill, near Muddy Creek Forks, at the time of the election of Thomas Jefferson, in 1801; voted the Federalist ticket at the second election of James Mad- ison. He was appointed postmaster in 1826; elected a member of the legislature in 1834, and served with Thaddeus Stevens when the common school bill was passed, through the influence of that distinguished "American Commoner." He became an elder of Chance- ford Church in 1835, and served in that office just one-half a century. He and Rob- ert Ramsay, of Peach Bottom Township, now ninety-three old, are the last representatives.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

of the "old defenders" now living in York County. His father died in 1799 and his mother in 1842.

Col. John Kelley, of militia fame, owned a large tract of land surrounding what is now Laurel Station on the York & Peach Bottom Railway. He was noted as a great fox and wolf hunter. The late Thomas Kelley, Esq., a lawyer of York, was his son. Mary, his daughter, when a little girl, once went into a den and brought to her father a half-dozen little wolves, while the old wolf was hunting food in the woods. Her father's famous dog had gone into the den first; when he returned they knew from his actions that the old wolf was not at home. Rev. William Bingham of Oxford, Chester County, is a grandson of Col. Kelley. Mary Kelley afterward be- came the wife of Dr. McDonald, of Fawn.

THE TOWNSHIP OF HOPEWELL,

H OPEWELL was formed by a division of Shrewsbury. A petition was pre- sented to the court at York, in April 1767, which stated that “the inhabitants of Shrewsbury are under disadvantage on ac, count of the great extent of the township- the same being by a moderate computation twenty-five miles long and sixteen miles in breadth. We therefore request a division of the township by a line commencing at Will- iam Sinclair's mill; thence up the Codorus to the Fork; thence leading the branch of the Codorus past Charles Diehl's mill; thence in a straight line to the head branch of Deer Creek, continuing along it to the provincial line." The petitioners asked that the new township be called "Hopewell." William Earhart, Peter Brillhart, John Orr, Michael Geiselman, William Gemmill and William Nelson, were appointed commissioners to

make the division. They reported to the court on the 23d of June, 1767, making the division as requested by the petitioners. The report was confirmed during the July session of that year, by Justice John Blackburn and his four associate justices. This township was erected the year before Mason and Dix- on's line was run along its southern boun- dary. The name, Hopewell, is given to a number of other townships in the Middle and Southern States.

This township as organized in 1767 by the provincial court until 1885, had its original limits and is the largest township in York

County. During the summer of 1885, a majority vote of the electors- decided in fa- vor of dividing Hopewell into three town- ships. The court appointed B. F. Koller, M. H. McCall and Thomas G. Cross, com- missioners to lay off the new townships.

The northwestern part of the township is drained by the tributaries of the Codorus; the northern and eastern part by the Muddy Creek. and the southwestern part by the head waters of Deer Creek. The sur- face is undulating, though certain parts are quite level. There is yet considerable wood- land, and here and there scattered over the cultivated land and along the roadside, gi- ant oaks and chestnuts, which the intelligent farmer delights to let stand. The soil in general now is exceedingly fertile and pro- ductive, and the land valuable, though a century ago (as will be seen by the assessed valuation of 1783 given below), was then - | estimated at a low rate. Hopewell, for the year just named, contained 136 dwelling houses, 91 barns, 4 grist-mills, 15,223 acres of cultivated land, 10 negro slaves, and a population of 866. The original settlers were generally Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. A few Germans settled in the northern part a few years later. The population in 1880, including the boroughs was 4,275; real es- tale valuation in 1883, was $1, 130,976.

HOPEWELL IN 1783.

The following is a complete list of the taxables of Hopewell for the year 1783, to- gether with the amount and valuation of real estate:

Valuation.

John Anderson, 74 acres. £91

Robert Anderson, 106 acres

103

Widow Anderson, 150 acres 86

Samuel Adams. 8

John Adams 10

Jacob Alt

Patrick Burn, 50 acres. 33

John Brown, 60 acres

John Blasser, 150 acres 60

125

Abraham Blasser, 100 acres, 2 mills 201

Christian Blindmyer, 100 acres 127

John Beard, 30 acres 33

Barnet Blindmyer, 100 acres

William Bell . . 98

*William Brackenridge. 14

Frederick Brose, 30 acres

Andrew Brown, 50 acres

William Collins, 150 acres

James Criswell, 50 acres 108

Casper Climmer, 106 acres 99

Nicholas Dipple, 50 acres

William Douglass. 14

Samuel Dickson, 150 acres. 139

Anthony Duncan. 201 acres. 156

Jerry Delong, 150 acres. 155

Robert Dickson, 100 acres 113

*Father of Hugh Brackenridge. judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, who was born in Hopewell.

124

Adam @bough

749

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

Valuation.

Mathew Drohrbach 20

William Edgar, 130 acres 121

Samuel Martin, 150 acres 153

Samuel Mosser, 60 acres. 54

Heury Miller, 50 acres. 38

David Manson. 41

James MeFarlaud, 200 acres 120

John McCleary, 200 acres 126

Andrew Fulton, 100 acres. 183

David Fulton, 100 acres. 150

William Farress, 100 acres. 88

James McAllister, 50 acres.

Martin Obermiller, 180 acres 125

William Orr, 200 acres. . 100

John Pearson, 170 acres 136

Andrew Proudfoot, 200 acres.

171

John Garting, 300 acres, 2 slaves 276

Widow Pain, 60 acres

James Gibson, 150 acres 95

Patrick Purdy, 100 acres

Widow Gibson, 250 acres 137

David Proudfoot, 55 acres

68 104

William Good, 60 acres 53

Johnston Griffith, 126 acres

115

David Griffith, 100 acres

101

John Griffy, Jr., 100 acres.

131

David Gamble, 200 acres. .

213

John Graton, 200 acres, 1 slave.

205

Jacob Houshalter, 60 acres.

103

Henry Houshalter, 50 acres

Robert Henry

James Hutchison, 80 acres.

James Harper, 150 acres

134

John Herring, 100 acres.

Nicholas Streher. 50 acres 42

Jacob Sherer, 100 acres 154

Frederic Saddler, 30 acres 52

Samuel Smith, 150 acres 121

Jacob Shafer, 150 acres. 106

John Sbafer. 12

Abraham Sinnerd. 40

James Steel 16

James Smith, Sr., 210 acres, 1 slave 209

James Smith, Jr. 16

Francis Siechrists, 200 acres 144

John Shinnard, 80 acres

John Sharer, 50 acres.

Joseph Smith, 200 acres 217

John Smith, 50 acres 52

William Smith, 200 acres, 2 slaves 343

Robert Slemmons, 25 acres. 24

Jonathan Smith 16

Philip Taylor, 156 acres.

Peter Drexler, 60 acres. 64

Alexander Thompson, 150 acres. 115

David Waltemeyer, 50 acres 54

Charles Waltemeyer, 100 acres. 58

James Wilson, 100 acres 29

David Wiley, 150 acres, 1 slave. 263

Henry Wiest, 200 acres 169

James Wilson, 149 acres 109

William Wilson, 150 acres 106

John Wilson, 100 acres. 90

101

Andrew Warrick, 80 acres

106

Thomas Kelly, 100 acres.

Michael Zeigler, 100 acres. 61

Elisha Pew, 25 acres. 30

James Patterson, 150 acres 104 Samuel Patterson, 50 acres. 80

Nehemiah Armstrong, 35 acres 35

John Manifold, 136 acres. 114

James Maffet, 105 acres. 89

William Morrow, 80 acres ..

Thomas McKell, 160 acres 127

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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 145

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