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 147

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 147


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Mount Olivet Church .- This church of United Brethren in Christ is situated in Hopewell, two and one-half miles east of Shrewsbury. Rev. J. C. Smith, G. W. Lightner and W. H. Craumer were the first clergymen to preach the doctrines of this denomination in the vicinity. Rev. Lewis Kohr organized a class in 1881, and the fol- lowing year a church was built and dedicated by Rev. L. Peters, presiding elder. The trustees were: Charles Gable, H. C. Reh- meyer and A. F. Strayer. The congregation has forty members and is growing. A Sun- day-school, with seventy-five pupils, is held * in the church the entire year. Charles Gable is superintendent.


CROSS ROADS POSTOFFICE.


This has long been a place of interest in Hopewell. The old much traveled wagon road from Wrightsville and Columbia to Baltimore passes this point and four other roads diverge from it. ' Robert Smith half a century ago began store keeping here. He was followed by John Leight; William S. Logan has conducted the mercantile business for twenty-six years; John Logan who by the way, is quite a local historian, has been post- master at Cross Roads for forty-nine years. He received his appointment under President Van Buren, and has held the office contin- uously since. Mr. Logan is the son of James Logan who emigrated from County of An- trim, Ireland, and located in Hopewell in 1801 and died in Cumberland County in 1817. The Methodist Church of this place, belongs to the Stewartstown Circuit. Dr. T. M. Currans a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania has practiced medicine at Cross Roads for twenty-eight years. Frank's Rock,


755


HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.


three quarters of a mile north of Cross Roads Postoffice, obtained its name from a civilized Indian who had a wigwam there after the whites had settled around him. There is now a saw-mill owned by Frederick J. Myers near this spot. The "Old Round Hill Church" stood about one and a half miles north of Cross Roads Postoffice. The burying ground is still carefully enclosed. The first person interred in it, a man named Liggett, was frozen to death while hunting deer in a deep snow during the year 1760 or thereabouts. Tradition says he was found dead leaning against a tree with his gun grasped firmly in his hand; a giant white oak with its spreading branches, stands in the centre of this historic spot. This tree was doutless there when the first white settler came.


HOPEWELL CENTRE.


William Wallace, now a resident of York, in 1849 purchased a tract of land at this place for $13.50 an acre. The same land now and many of the surrounding farms are ex- ceedingly fertile and productive and worth many times their original cost. In 1850 Mr. Wallace secured the establishment of a post- office, and named it "Hopewell Centre." He opened a store in 1851 which he conducted until 1874, when his son James W. Wallace succeeded him and is now the proprietor. William Watson was postmaster for a time. A few years ago James W. Wallace was appointed.


In 1825 Capt. James Wallace organized a rifle company, called the Washington Greens, composed of 125 men. They were uniformed in green suits, trimmed with red, and wore a helmet. The members were all from Hope- well. This company continued to exist with a different uniform, but under the same name for nearly half a century. They drilled regularly and are said to have been one of the finest looking companies in the county. Some of the original members belonged to it until it disbanded. The commanding officers at different times were Capts. Wallace, Sampson, Smith, Collins and Campbell. In 1860 some of the members of the "Washing- ton Greens" and others formed themselves into a company which was called the "Hope- well Centre Guards," and were commanded by Capt. William Wallace. This company drilled frequently, but eventually thirty-two of the fifty men, which composed it, entered the Union Army, eleven of whom yielded up their lives on the battle fields of our sister State, Virginia, in order that our nation mnight live. Hopewell Township, as a


whole, did well for our country's cause during the dark times of our civil war.


" THE KING OF THE BARRENS."


Andrew Finly, or Finley, a bold, auda- cious Scotch-Irishman, emigrated from Coun- ty Antrim, North Ireland, to this country in 1732. He landed at New Castle, Del., proceeded with others to this county, and purchased a tract of land,on which the village of Winterstown is built. Tradition gives Finly a great deal of prominence in the lower end of the county. He was a sort of modern Shylock, demanding, not a pound of flesh however from every person to whom he loaned money, but a quart of pure old rye, together with the principal and interest. This inspiriting fluid was all placed in one large demijohn and dealt out to his friends who visited him on convivial occasions. He was called by his neighbors the "King of the Barrens." Before his death, he em- ployed James McCandless, a schoolmaster of the olden time, also a justice of the peace, to write some verses which were to be placed on his tomb. The ingenious Scotchman, who, it is said, was able to repeat nearly the whole of the poems of Robert Burns from memory, and had acquired quite a local reputation as an amateur poet, was unable to please Finly, at the first attempt, as the verses were not laudatory enough to please his vanity and ambition, believing with the immortal Shakespeare that


"The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones."


In order to prevent this he demanded that McCandless consult the Muses and make another attempt. The poet finally produced the following effusion, which pleased his master, and it is neatly carved on the marble slab which covers his tomb, in the old "Round Hill" graveyard, about three miles southeast of Winterstown, in this township.


"ANDRE FINLEY died in the year 1800. His pilgrimage on earth was four score years and three.


In his early youth he bravely served His Majesty, In whose army he was a captain bold, And fought for honor, not for sake of gold. Firm and undaunted he had courage brave And drew his sword his country for to save."


There is another couplet relating to his kindness to the poor, which is not clearly legible. A difficulty arose between the poet and his lord as to the charge for his services, which was not adjusted until after the death of the latter, when McCandless laid in a bill of £10, or about $50, for the epitaph and recovered it. Finley, who doubtless had


756


HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.


many virtues, even if he was possessed of considerable vanity, left no children and his young wife died many years before him. He lived in a comfortable home, now in the limits of Winterstown. He served as lieu- tenant of a company of soldiers from his section that, in 1758, joined Gen. Forbes' expedition against the Indians, and after- ward was at the surrender of Fort DuQuesne, now Pittsburg. Part of his land around Wintertown was given, by will, to a relative, who became the wife of Rev. John Smith, and who, with her husband, moved to Steuben County, N. Y. The tract for many years lay as an open common, surrounded by valuable timber land. It was a great resort for sportsmen during this period, in quest of wild pigeons which were found abundantly there.


HISTORICAL NOTES AND INCIDENTS.


William Sinclair, an officer in the Revolu- tionary army, owned what is now known as Henry's Mill, in this township. His death occurred in 1817, and his remains were in- terred with the honors of war, in the old "Round Hill Graveyard."


The Pennsylvania Herald, printed at York, in its issue of May 2, 1798, has the following:


"On Saturday, the 21st of April last, Capt. Collins' company, in Hopewell Township, in this county, at the usual place of muster, on hearing the President's (Adams) message to both Houses of Congress, respecting the re- ception of our Envoys to the French Repub- lic, unanimously agreed to turn out Volun- teers on the shortest notice, well equipped at their own expense, in defence of their country."


The York Republican, of September 20, 1843, contains the following:


Died at his residence in Hopewell, in this county on the 16th of September, Mr. Alexander Thomp- son, at the advanced age of eighty-four years, six months and sixteen days. Mr. Thompson was a soldier of the Revolution, and his death diminishes the number of the small remnant of the heroes and patriots of that era. He resided during his long life at the homestead in which he was born and he was interred in his native soil on the Sabbath after his decease, his remains heing attended to the grave by a large concourse of his friends and neighbors.


He was the father of Archibald Thompson of Hopewell and grandfather of A. Duncan Thompson, late clerk to the county commis- sioners.


Hon. James Purdy, for sixty-five years a member of the Mansfield (Ohio) bar, was born in Hopewell Township, November 24, 1793. In 1811 he moved with his parents to


New Hopewell Township, Ontario Co., N. Y., to which place a great many families from York County moved about the same time. He was a soldier on the Niagara frontier in the war of 1812-15. In 1820 he located at Mansfield, Ohio, where he has since practiced law, and for many years has been president of the Farmers National Bank of Mansfield. August 29, 1885, he stated in a letter to the writer: "To-day I drafted a bill in equity, my last professional case." He was then ninety-two years old.


Thomas Jordan, Esq., of Hopewell Town- ship, died on the 8th of December, 1819. "He was an active friend of his country during the Revolution. For many years he was a prominent justice of the peace, and was highly respected in his neighborhood." (York Gazette.)


Joseph Allison was appointed a justice of the peace by the Governor to succeed him.


Maj. Gemmill was called the "King of the Barrens" after the death of Capt. Andrew Finley.


Samuel Cameron was accidentally killed while firing a salute in front of the house of Maj. Gemmill, May 10, 1826. He and others were on their way to a military parade.


Lieut. Kurtz was accidentally killed in York by a bayonet, on the same day.


The first battalion of Col. Robert Colvin's regiment was trained and exercised at the house of Capt. William Allison in Hopewell on Tuesday May 9, 1820, and was inspected by Brigade Inspector A. S. Jordon. On the sec- ond Monday of December, 1819, the same regi- ment, the Sixty-fourth Pennsylvania Militia, met and drilled at the house of Abraham Miller, in same township. The same regiment on May 4, 1821, was inspected by Gen. Jor- don at the house of Samuel Smith.


"The MechanicsburgRifles" was a volunteer military company, organized in 1835, and drilled fourteen years. Hon. Adam Ebaugh, now strong and vigorous at the advanced age of eighty-two, was captain of this com- pany.


One of the traditionary stories of Hopewell is as follows:


Some time before the Revolution an In- dian came to the blacksmith shop of Will- iam McClurg, who followed this trade on the place now owned by John Blake in Winters- town. The red man wanted his gun repaired, the blacksmith told him that he had no coal. The Indian then said: "Give me a basket and mattock and I will get you coal." They were furnished him and he went in the direc- tion of Sinclair's Mill (Henry's). McClurg


757


FAWN TOWNSHIP.


desiring to find out the secret, quietly fol- lowed the Indian, but fearing he might lose his way returned to his home. The Indian soon after returned, bringing with him the desired coal. Some time later, during a flood of the Codorus, which brought down drift wood, a large stump had tightly grown around it fine specimens of anthracite coal. The stump was exposed by the flood. This is supposed to be the place the Indian got his coal.


We give this story for the benefit of the reader and let him judge for himself whether it be true. The geological forma- tion of Hopewell would not indicate that there ever was native coal in it. " We will sell this story as we bought it."


William Douglass of Chanceford shot a wild bear in Hopewell in 1828. It was the last one seen in the lower end of the county. Deer were shot as late as 1833 and wild turkeys somewhat later. James Logan shot a white deer in Hopewell in 1830. A wolf was killed in 1828.


THE TOWNSHIP OF FAWN.


THIS was one of the first townships in the county, and as originally laid out included Peach Bottom, which formed a part of it until 1815. The name Fawn is signif- icant, and interesting, yet very rarely used in geographical science to designate a place. Some of the oldest citizens of this township recall the time when deer were plentiful within its limits. Fawn as at present formed, is bounded on the east by Peach Bottom, on the South by the State of Mary- land, on the west by Hopewell, and on the north by Lower Chanceford, with the Mud- dy Creek forming the northern boundary line. The township is drained by this stream and its tributaries. The soil, which for more than a century was considered unfer- tile and non-productive, by improved culti- vation has become remarkably fertile and productive, yielding as much corn, wheat and other cereals to the acre as any other portion of York County. The increase of the amount of wheat grown within the past decade is truly wonderful. Tobacco has re- cently become a very profitable crop in this township, and the cultivation of it is likely to increase. The population of Fawn in 1880 was 1,685.


There was an Indian town on the farm of


John Smithson in Fawn. The Indians were yet in the neighborhood when Richard Webb, grandfather of John Webb, located in the township. There are Indian graves on the farm of Emannel Bullett, one mile east of Fawn Grove, and on the Scott farm near New Park, an Indian hut on the Manstellar farm, and a number of wigwams on the farm of R. Duncan Brown, on which his grand- father settled in 1764.


The township was originally settled almost entirely by the Scotch-Irish, and some of the land was taken up under Maryland titles be- fore a definite provincial line was run. Some Quakers settled in the vicinity of Fawn Grove.


FAWN TOWNSHIP IN 1783.


In 1783 the population of this township, including Peach Bottom, was 783. There were 39 slaves, 118 dwelling houses, 89 barns, 8 mills and 18,100 acres of land taken up. The following is a complete list of the names of the taxable inhabitants for the year 1783, together with the number of acres owned by each and valnation in pounds sterling:


Francis Armstrong, 50 acres. .. £12


James Alexander, 40 acres, 2 mills. 222


Isaac Alexander, 201 acres. 115


Thomas Allen, 125 acres. 100


Robert Adair, 50 acres. . 26


William Adams, 100 acres. 51


John Alexander, 30 acres.


18


Stephen Allaway, 20 acres


Allen Anderson, 100 acres 14


57


William Anderson, 69 acres.


Humphrey Andrew .. 176


14


John Bullock, 40 acres.


10


Eliezer Brown, 100 acres.


112


James Buchanan, 200 acres. 114


Samuel Buchanan, 310 acres. 138


Moses Bennington. 16


Thomas Brannen, 100 acres. 68


Thomas Brannen, Jr., 100 acres.


60


Thomas Brown, 152 acres ..


102


William Boyd, 2 horses.


9


Samuel Black, 50 acres.


52


Nathaniel Baldwin, 100 acres.


52


Jonathan Burgess


18


Jeremiah Barnet, 50 acres.


20


Alex Cooper, 600 acres, 2 slaves. 317


Thomas Cooper, 600 acres, 4 slaves. 554


Nicholas Cooper, 128 acres. 229


Matthew Clark, 300 acres 166


Robert Caldwell, 100 acres.


101


Samuel Caldwell, 100 acres.


75


James Cord, 120 acres.


74


Samuel Cummings, 60 acres.


20


Archibald Cooper, 200 acres.


93


John Cooper, 120 acres, 1 horse.


65


David Cooper, 100 acres


55


Samuel Crow, 200 acres. 111


Ann Carson, 274 acres, 1 slave. 88


William Colvin, 273 acres. 118


Benjamin Cunningham, 350 acres. 203


Patrick Clemmons, 83 acres 14


William Cooper, 175 acres. 107


26


John Commons, 70 acres.


758


HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.


Patrick Curly, 50 acres.


20


Martin Cortz, 100 acres.


74


Peter Cortz, 100 acres. 81


Agnew Gilchrist, 139 acres. 81


John Campbell. 18


John Cox, 80 acres.


40


John Rowland, 50 acres 32


Alex Ramsey, 100 acres. 37


Joseph Dame.


Robert Dunlap, 150 acres 47


John Day, 140 acres .. 91


238


Patrick Ewing. 60 acres


22


Rachael Steel, 160 acres, 1 slave. 55


Patrick Scott, 272 acres, 1 slave.


172


Samuel Edgar, 228 acres. 178


John Suter, 115 acres.


56


Alexander Ewing, Jr., 50 acres. 26


John Sharp, 80 acres.


37


Alexander Ewing, 75 acres 51


Mary Fulton, 200 acres 118


Elijah Forsythe, 30 acres. 7


50


Thomas Smith, 100 acres. 50


John Taylor, 115 acres. 70 7


James Threw. .


John Taggert, 50 acres. 19


112


Robert Gordon, 100 acres.


47


John Glasgow, 100 acres 50


Robert Gibson, 50 acres 32


John Brown Gordan. 16


Robert Gilkerson, 250 acres 87


William Gray, 200 acres. 121


John Guist, 200 acres 109


John Hamilton, 100 acres, 1 slave 121


Levay Hopkins, 200 acres. 123


Jeremiah Hayton, 80 acres 54


Archibald Harvey, 10 acres


12


John Harbison, 100 acres


40


Josiah Hitchcock, 200 acres


114


Jesse Jarret, 100 acres


50


Ann Jones. 60 acres 41


Benjamin Jones, 107 acres. 47


Joseph Johnston, 50 acres 47


Samuel Kincade, 270 acres


116


Joseph Kathcart, 265 acres. 171


John Lemmon, 40 acres 4


Henry Long, 100 acres 39


John Livingston, 60 acres.


31


John McLean, 50 acres, 2 slaves 75


Edward Moore .. 2


John Major 13


George Mitchell, 200 acres 95


Thomas Mattson, 20 acres. 21


Robert Miller, 100 acres. 49


Robert Mooberry, 100 acres 66


James McMullen, 200 acres 107


Edward Manifold, 400 acres 236


George Mitchell, Jr., 250 acres 76


George Mitchell, Sr., 150 acres 79


William Mantle, 150 acres 89 James Milligan, 185 acres 60


John McKitruk, 50 acres. 22


William McCleary, 186 acres 109


James McCullough, 160 acres 86


John Mum, 97 acres 36


John McCleland. 7


James McCandless, 756 acres, 2 slaves. 407


Joseph Mitchell, 150 acres, 1 still. 68


Hugh McFaddon, 85 acres 37


Israel Morris, 170 acres. 110


Thomas Neill, 140 acres. 72


John Neill, 140 acres. 52


George Nicholl, 300 acres, 1 mill, 1 still. 169


William Porter, 340 acres, 1 saw-mill, 3 slaves .. 507 John Parks, 75 acres. 53


William Parker, 178 acres. 80 James Parker, 107 acres. 71


James Reed, 75 acres. 37


Walter Robinson, 157 acres. 31


William Robinson, 85 acres. 60


Joseph Ross, 200 acres. 99


* William Rowan, 245 acres. 105 William Reed, 75 acres 42


Andrew Richie, 120 acres 59


John Ralston, 100 .acres. 6


James Ramsey, 396 acres, 3 slaves, 8 persons. 326


John Daugherty


4


Cunningham Simple, 260 acres, 4 slaves 384 9


Patrick Sloan.


John Simple, 1005 acres, 1 still, 4 slaves. 565


Thomas Steel. 282 acres. . 117


78


Adam Fondrew, 100 acres


Henry Graham.


2


Thomas Gordon. 2


James Gordon, 200 acres. 95


Jacob Gibson, 150 acres, 1 slave, 1 mill 166


Robert Torbit, 200 acres.


Alex Turner, 30 acres, 1 grist-mill, 1 saw-mill ..


49


Nathaniel Wyley, 73 acres.


18


John Whitecker, 140 acres.


81


John Wilson, 300 acres. .


209


Richard Webb, 133 acres.


96


William Wallace, 140 acres. 69


James Webb. . 14


Joseph Wiley, 294 acres. 183


Samuel Wattson, 120 acres. 56


James Wiley, 150 acres. 89


Isaac Whitelock, 100 acres. 50


Joseph Wiley, Sr. 7


James Edgar, 150 acres. 114


Samuel West, 100 acres. 52


George West, 100 acres.


42


SINGLE MEN.


Thomas Alexander. Eli Adams.


Joshua Brown.


William Atchison.


Jesse Bathers. Patrick Downey. .


Alexander Ewing.


William Kinard.


William Hepson.


Samuel McFaddeu.


John Howell.


Thomas Scott.


George Suter. Joseph Scott. Solomou Watson.


Joseph White.


Henry Todd.


John Boyd.


CENTRE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


The date of the organization of Centre Church was about the year 1780. Decembe 15, 1782, Alexander Ramsay, David Wiley, James Denny, Joseph Wiley and Joseph Cathcart, trustees, purchased from William Gray, for the sum of £3, three acres of land, "on which is to be erected a meeting house by a congregation called Centre." It is evi- dent there was a permanent organization in 1782. How the church received its name is unknown. Divine service, after the Presby- terian form, was conducted at this point sev- eral years before an organization was effected. The first pastor was Rev. George Luckey, a native of Fagg's Manor, Penn., who gradu- ated at Princeton in 1772, and was licensed


*Father of United States Senator Rowan, of Kentucky, who was born in York County.


287


Alex Threw, 110 acres


Hugh Whiteford, 100 acres.


50


James Smith, 93 acres.


37


William Sharp, 80 acres.


Rev. John Slemmons, 230 acres, 3 slaves. 244


2


Robert Duncan, 394 acres.


Hugh Edgar, 136 acres. 85


759


FAWN TOWNSHIP.


by the presbytery of New Castle, 1776. He was ordained at Chestnut Level, Penn., April 27, 1785, and installed, previous to August 30 of the same year, as pastor of Centre and Bethel Churches.


In 1786 Baltimore Presbytery was erected out of the presbytery of New Castle, and Centre Church and its pastor were set over to that presbytery. There they continued until 1799, when they were set back again to New Castle. Mr. Luckey was moderator of the presbytery of Baltimore in 1796, and its clerk for many years. He was moderator of the presbytery of New Castle in 1804. He continued to serve Centre Church for a period of thirty-four years, until April 6, 1819. He died December 13, 1823, and was buried in the cemetery at Bethel, . Harford Co., Md., where a marble tomb, erected by the church he so long and faithfully served, marks his last resting place.


Mr. Luckey is spoken of as a fine scholar, an intelligent preacher, plain in his manners, unwearying in labor, and unexcelled in his acquaintance with the Scriptures. The next pastor was Rev. Samuel Parke, who was li- censed by the presbytery of New Castle at St. George's, Del., April 7, 1813, and ordained August 10, 1814. At a meeting of the presbytery, April 4, 1820, a call from Centre for one-third of Mr. Parke's time was presented and accepted by him. He was installed May 2, 1820. Centre congregation was then worshiping in a log building familiarly known as the "tent," which had succeeded a similar structure removed some years before. In 1821 the house of worship now in use was built, and is an enduring monument to the energy of the pastor and the liberality of his people.


In 1842 the presbytery of New Castle was divided and out of it Donegal was organized. Centre Church and its pastor were now under the care of Donegal Presbytery. Mr. Parke resigned December, 1848, after a pastorate of twenty-eight years and seven months.


Of him it can be said that he labored faithfully for the cause of the church and the good of man. In pastoral work he ex- celled, after traversing the eleven miles from his home to minister to the spiritual wants of his people. He died 20, 1869, in his eighty-second year, and was buried in the cemetery at Slate Ridge. On April 17, 1850, a call from Centre Church for the pastoral services of Rev. Samuel Hume Smith, who was installed pastor June 21, 1851, and con- tinued to minister to this church with great acceptance until his death, which occurred February 4, 1857. His remains were in-


terred in the cemetery at Chanceford Church, where a neat monument was erected to his memory.


On May 6, 1859, a call was presented to the presbytery by Centre Church, for the pastoral services of Rev. J. Y. Cowhick for one-fourth of his time. He was installed pastor of Centre Church, June 10, 1859.


During his pastorate the union of the "old" and the "new school" branches of the Presby- terian Church occurred. As a memorial of this event, a fund of $700 was raised for church repairs. A cornice extension was put to the roof, new blinds on the windows; a new pulpit and new pews were placed in the church, and the whole repainted. This work was completed and paid for July 20, 1871. Rev. Cowhick resigned June 14, 1875. His pastorate lasted sixteen years.


Rev. Johnston McGaughey, a licentiate of the presbytery of New Brunswick, was ordained November 4, 1875, and pastor of Centre Church the next day, to give one-half of his time to this church. He continued until February 17, 1879, when he resigned.


The present pastor is Rev. R. L. Clark, to whom the writer hereby returns his grateful thanks for this history. He was licensed, by the presbytery of Westminister, April 11, 1877.


June 16, 1879, the congregation of Centre made out a unanimous call for his pastoral services for the whole of his time; the church for the first time in its history, determining to have the full service of its pastor.


September 11, 1879, this call was presented to him by the presbytery of Westminster, and accepted. The same day he was ordained and installed pastor. In 1880 a parsonage was built near the church at a cost of $3, 500.


Centre Church was incorporated May 21, 1883. The congregation, in 1885, has 182 members, and the Sabbath-school 160 mem- bers.


FAWN GROVE BOROUGH.


This pleasant little borough is situated in the southeastern part of the township, one- fourth of a mile from the Maryland line. The land in and around the town was settled first by the Scotch-Irish, who were followed soon after by the Friends. Some of the early settlers in the vicinity were the Tomkins, Brooks, Johnsons; Webbs, Wilsons, Bennetts, Bonds, Lukens, Spencers, Joneses, etc., whose descendants now live here. The site upon which the town is built was a sporting ground for young deer, which were very numerous at




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