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 148

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 148

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

the time of the first settlement, andfor a long while afterward. Owing to the large grove near by, some one suggested that the place be called "Fawn Grove," which was accepted. A charter of incorporation was granted in 1881. The survey was made by John S. Mc- Elwain. The first burgess was Dr. John Hawkins, who served one year. T. H. Wright was elected in 1883, and re-elected in the next year with Jason Bradley, Asa Jones, H. S. Merrymau. William A. Webb and William E. Brooks as councilmen. There is no hotel in the village, as the strong temperance views of the inhabitants discourage the sale of in- toxicating liquors. The first store was kept by one Hugo in the building now owned by Misses Sarah and Martha Jay, who also kept a store in same building for many years. A part of the time Benjamin Gemmill was a partner in the business. The firm was suc- ceeded by Merryman & Wright. Dr. Mc- Donald, a physician of considerable local reputation, died here at an advanced age. His wife, Deborah, was a highly esteemed preacher of the Quaker faith.

The firm of Merryman & Hawkins uow con- duct a store of general merchandise; William R. Webb, undertaker and cabinet-maker; Dr. John A. Hawkins is the physican of the village; Thomas H. Herbert, justice of the peace; H. S. Merryman, postmaster.

Whiteside Chapel, was built in 1865, and is the central point of the Fawn Grove Circuit, consisting of Mount Nebo, Mount Olivet, Del- ta, Norrisville and Whiteside Chapel. This circuit belongs to the Maryland Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, William A. Ramsey and William A. Channell, and Rev. James Whiteside were the building committee of this chapel. At the time of its erection it belonged to Stewartstown Circuit; Rev. James Whiteside who then presided over that circuit died before this chapel was completed and was succeeded by Rev. Robert Winna, who dedicated it, assisted by Rev. C. Cox. The succeeding pastors were Revs. F. R. McGregor, A. S. Eversole, James W. Floyd, William D. Litsinger and J. W. Charlton. The present pastor is Rev. A. D. Dick, who took charge of the circuit in 1884. The Sunday-school of this congregation numbers 103 pupils, under the superintendence of Oscar Herbert; church membership, about sixty.

The present house of worship of Mount Nebo Methodist Protestant congregation, situated two miles from Fawn Grove, was built in 1885. It is a neat frame edifice 33x40 feet with tower and spire, and is a great credit to the congregation.

The Friends' Meeting House .- The history of the Society of Friends and their meetings in this county is found elsewhere in this work. The present meeting house in Fawn Grove Borough is the third one that has been used and is a new, neat and cosy building and one of the most comfortable houses of worship in the county. This meeting belongs to the Baltimore yearly meeting; services are held twice a week. Elizabeth Webb, a member of the meeting is eighty-five years old; Hannah Jones is eighty-three. John Webb, William J. Vansant and Nathan P. Harry, are the trustees; James K. Brown, Hannah Jones, Mary T. Brown and Rachael Ann Pyle, elders; Mary E. Brooks, female overseer.

Fawn Grove Academy was chartered August 28, 1872. The first officers of the board of trustees were John B. Gemmill, president; William R. Jones, secretary; John A. C. Gailey, treasurer. The teachers in order of succession have been S. W. Baird, Thomas C. Galbreath, Herman Smith, J. E. Green, A. N. Kirkwood, J. R. Strawbridge, A. C. Hawkins, G. W. Devilbiss, who became principal in 1884. The board of trustees for 1885; H. S. Merryman, president; R. W. Anderson, secretary; J. A. C. Gailey, treas- urer; Dr. J. A. Hawkins and A. W. Mitchell.

GATCHELLVILLE.

This village was named after Joseph Gatchell, who purchased the land on which the town is built, when it contained a pine forest. He started a store which he kept for several years. Matthew H. McCall and M. Hyson now conduct the mercantile business. The town is pleasantly situated and is grow- ing. About one mile distant is the site of "Battalion Grounds" of militia days, on the farm of the late Dr. Hugh McDonald. The old Blue Ball Hotel not far from this village, for a long time kept by J. Bullett, was for fifty years the voting place of this township. This historic site is now owned by Felix C. Herbert, a veteran Democrat who yet does faithful service for his party at the advanced age of eighty-three years. He was county commissioner when the York Jail was built in 1855. Felix by accident voted twice in one day for his chosen candidate for presi- dent of the United States, before he was twenty-one years old. It was not uncommon in those days to vote "on size" as well as "on age," and he was large of stature.

Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church is located in the west end of Gatchellville. An old church stood near by for nearly half a century. In 1868 the building now stand-

James We only

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ing was erected at a cost of about $2,800. It has recently been remodeled and attractively painted. There is a burying ground adjoin- ing it. This church is supplied by the min- ister of Airville Circuit, a description of which will be found in the history of Lower Chanceford.

NEW PARKE.

This is a hamlet in Fawn, near the Maryland line. There was a Presbyterian Church built here in the year 1847, and Rev. Mr. Parke who bad many years served the congregations at Centre Church and at Slate Ridge determined to organize a new con- gregation. The attempt was only partially successful. The frame building was moved a short distance from its original position, and, in 1882, began to be used by John Morgan Jenkins as a store.

The postoffice was established December 2, 1878, and John B. Gemmill appointed post- master.

Jimmie McCandless, farmer, teacher, poet, justice, tavern keeper and fiddler, lived near New Parke, and was a person whom every one knew three-fourths of a century ago. He taught "Centre Church School" for many years. He was a member of Centre con- gregation and owned a pew in a prominent place in the church. His neighbor Brooks, who owned a pew behind his, became his enemy. McCandless built the back of his pew so high that his neighbor could not see the minister while preaching. Neighbor Brooks finally appealed in the sessions who ordered the pew lowered. McCandless was a jovial sort of an individual. He failed in business, removed to the West and wrote a letter in rhyme to the sheriff who seized his property.

Col. Colvin, of Lower Chanceford, and John A. Wilson, late of York, many years ago, were at one time prominent teachers of Fawn.

Bald Eagle Postoffice is in the north- eastern part of the township and Constitution Postoffice, established during the civil war, in the southeastern.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Fawn has eight public schools with the following names: New Parke, Cedar Valley, Bald Eagle, Mount Airy, Pine Grove, Wal- nut Grove, Fairmount, Pleasant Grove. The members of the board of directors for the past year were J. W. Gillipsie, R. C. Liggett, John B. Thompson, John W. Mitchell, Joseph Wood and John Sansberry.

THE TOWNSHIP OF PEACH BOTTOM.

TH THIS township was formed by a division

of Fawn. The report of the viewers appointed by the court to make the division, was confirmed April 5, 1815. The petition- ers requested that the eastern part be called Peach Bottom. The survey was made by Col. James Steele, and according to his draft the township contains 18,313 acres. On the margin of the draft, representing the line along the Susquehanna River, a house, farm buildings, and an orchard, are drawn and marked "John Kirk's buildings and Peach Orchard."

Fawn Township forms the western boun- dary, extending from what was then a stone bridge at John Donnell's mill, to Maryland. The land owners at the time of the division, along Mason & Dixon's line, from the river westward in order, were Cooper Boyd, Stephen Cooper, John Neeper, Hugh Glas- gow, James Steele, John Livingstone, H. Quigley, Boyd Jones, and Col. Matthew Clark.

The northern and western part of the township is drained by Niell's Run, Fishing Creek, Scott's Run and other smaller streams as tributaries to Muddy Creek which forms the entire northern boundary, separating Peach Bottom from Lower Chanceford and flowing into the Susquehanna. Robison's Run, McConkey's Run and Rock Run drain the eastern part and flow into the river, which forms the eastern boundary. Slate Ridge, famous for its quarries of valuable slate, diagonally crosses the township, extending into Maryland. The York & Peach Bottom Railroad intersects it, and the Susquehanna Canal extends along its entire eastern border. The Baltimore & Delta Railroad terminates at Delta.

The real estate valuation of this township in 1884 was $667,905; number of taxable in- habitants, 650; population in 1880 was 2,130, exclusive of Delta Borough.

The early settlers of Peach Bottom, like other parts of the lower end of York County, first cleared small tracts of land, then planted potatoes and corn, and sowed rye and a little wheat. For the first few years fair crops were raised, eventually the land became poor, and the owners let it grow up with wild vegetation, while they turned their attention to the cultivation of newly cleared tracts. Much of the land became known as "barrens." The raising of wheat was not a success. The introduction of plas-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

ter as a fertilizer caused a slight revival in the business of farming. About 1832 lime began to be used. It was brought down the Susquehanna in arks, flat-boats and the fa- miliar keel-boats. About the time the Sus- quehanna Canal opened, in 1840, the business of farming received a healthy stimulus in this township. Lime became cheaper. The native stone was brought down from the vicinity of Wrightsville, and lime was burned by the farmers and merchants in the town- ship. Some was brought from Maryland. As a fertilizer, lime seemed to work like a charm for a time, but eventually, at least after the second or third liming on the same land, it seemed of less value. Next came the South American guano, which was considered well suited as a fertilizer to the slate soil. Phos- phates have been extensively used for a number of years, and are instrumental in producing abundant crops.

SLATE RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The Rev. Joseph Smith, now the highly esteemed pastor of Slate Ridge congregation, in October, 1868, published in pamphlet form, an extended sketch of this historic church, from which most of the following facts were obtained: The original and suc- ceeding members of this church have dwelt, and its present members now dwell in part of York County, Penn., and in part of what is now called Harford County, Md.

The first settlers here were Scotch and Scotch-Irish. It is stated that the influx from 1718 to 1740, was wholly Protestant, and largely Presbyterian. The newspapers of that time furnish accounts of the extent of the immigration of this class, especially from Ireland. In September, 1736, 1,000 families sailed from Belfast, in Ireland, on account of the difficulty of renewing their leases; on the 9th of the same month, 100 Presbyterians from Ireland arrived at Phila- delphia, as many more soon afterward at Newcastle, and twenty ships were daily ex- pected from Ireland. Wodrow, the Scottish historian, says "the departure of the people in shoals, excited the fears of the English government, lest Ireland should be wholly abandoned to the papists."

The Scotch and the Scotch-Irish, when they emigrated, brought their church and school with them. One of the first arrange- ments, therefore, made by the primitive Pres- byterian settlers west of the Susquehanna, was to have the Gospel preached in their midst. At the time, or shortly after the set- tlement of this place, an event occurred which, no doubt, increased their desire for

Gospel ordinances. It is stated, "There was so great a revival in Baltimore County in 1746 and 1747, that it seemed like the first planting of religion there. It was in what is now Harford County, and extended from Deer Creek to Slate Ridge and Chanceford." This was an auspicious beginning for Slate Ridge Church. The first house consecrated to the worship of God in this part of the country, was a log building near Muddy Creek. Tra- dition indicates the site of it at the junction of Scott's Run and Muddy Creek, east of the former and south of the latter. We think the reason why this place was chosen for the site of their sanctuary was, that it was cen- tral to the people of Chanceford and Peach Bottom. When a house of worship was built and a church organized in Chanceford, a more central and convenient place was chosen. Although difficult in getting to and from it at present, yet the scenery around the site of the old sanctuary is pleasing to the eye. Two streams, running in opposite di- rections, the meeting of the waters, the wooded range rising gradually behind where the ancient sanctuary stood, all unite in forming one of nature's very pleasing pict- ures. It reminds one of some of the places in Scotland where the persecuted Covenant- ers were wont to assemble and worship Jehovah. The log building at Muddy Creek was burned. A second, and temporary build- ing, was then erected about three miles fur- ther south, in the State of Maryland, on land then owned by Michael Whiteford. A vague tradition indicates that this "temporary build- ing" was erected near where John Beattie now lives. This building was soon deserted, and a third house of worship was erected, either on or near to the place where the present church stands. In 1762 a fourth house of worship was built. It is described as "a new, better and fourth church, built of squared logs, on the same site." About the year 1800 this house was burned, being set on fire, it is said, by an incendiary. Soon after this the pres- ent and fifth house of worship was built. One statement of the organization of this church says: "A congregation was formed, and church erected prior to 1750." Another account is, that it was organized, not before 1750, and probably in 1751. The man to whom, as is generally believed, belongs the honor of constituting this church, was the Rev. Eleazer Whittlesey, who was born prob- ably in Bethlem, Conn. He spent some time at Nottingham, in Cecil Co., Md., where a Mr. Finley taught an academy. He graduated in 1749, at Nassau Hall, then located at New- ark, and was licensed to preach by the Newcas-

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tle Presbytery soon after. Writing to Bel- lamy, May 8, 1750, from Mr. Finley's he says, he had been directed to ride abroad in March and April, and supply vacanies. Finley writes, December 3, 1752, that "Whittlesey, whom I tenderly loved for his zeal and integrity, left my house on a Thursday morning, cheerful, and in pretty good health, and preached the next Sabbath at Muddy Run, not designing to continue there longer. On Monday he was taken sick with pleurisy. He continued in pain until Saturday, and then gave up the ghost. The last words he was heard to utter were: 'O Lord, leave me not.' The Susque- hanna was frozen and no messenger could come to me till all was over. He died De- cember 21. To Bellamy he bequeathed his watch, and requested Rodgers to take his horse at what price he pleased." A tradition worthy of belief, asserts that the body of Whittlesey was buried in a graveyard near where James Johnson, of Peach Bottom Town- ship, now lives. The successor of Whittle- sey was Evander Morrison, of Scotland, who joined the New Castle Presbytery in 1753. During his ministry the second house was built. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Black, but how long these clergymen each served is not known. There was no pastor in 1759. Rev. John Strain, who was probably born in 1728, and was graduated at Princeton Col- lege in 1757, licensed to preach in 1759, was or- dered by the Presbytery to supply Slate Ridge and Chanceford in July the same year, and ordained December 17, 1760, was next pastor.

At the meeting of the Presbytery, October 14, 1760, a number of members of Slate Ridge congregation asked "that their meet- ing-house be continued where it is." At the ensuing meeting a committee was appointed by the presbytery to go to the spot and de- cide the matter, consisting of Messrs. Blair, Bay, James Finley and S. Finley, moderator. They reported "they had met the Slate Ridge congregation and determined the place of building their new meeting-house. A good spring may be had by going a little way from that place." This was doubtless the spring now owned by the congregation. Mr. Strain was installed pastor of the Slate Ridge and Chanceford by Messrs. Sterling, Bay and Finley, November 17, 1762. Not long after his installation, he and his con- gregations were annexed to the Donegal Pres- bytery, the sessions of which he and his elder James Smith met, June 29, 1763. Some of the ruling elders of Slate Ridge and Chanceford, at this time, were Hugh Whiteford, Rowland Hughes, Joseph Wat- son, John Steel, James Leeper, James Gor.

don, James Clarke, James Smith, Patrick Scott, J. Cowan and Thomas Scott. The oldest grave now marked in the present Slate Ridge burying ground is that of a child of Alexander McCandless, in 1764.

Mr. Strain purchased a farm adjoining lands of John Edmundson and James White in 1765, within the present limits of Peach Bottom Township. He was not a man of great physical endurance. Hezekiah James Balch, a graduate of Princeton, pursued the study of theology with him about this time, for one year. In 1768 Revs. Strain and Duffield, received a call to become joint pastors of the Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, at a salary of £200 each. The next session of Donegal Presbytery as- sembled at Slate Ridge, when a joint address from the congregations of Chanceford and Slate Ridge, remonstrated against the remo- val of their pastor. He yielded to their wishes, and remained as their minister until his death, in 1774. He is traditionally re- membered as "one of the most eloquent ministers of the Presbyterian Church of his time, and very earnest and zealous in his

work." There are a number of eulogies of his character, delivered at the time of his death, still in existence, and the Pennsylva- nia Gazette; then the leading paper in Philadelphia, published were extended obit- uary of him. His remains were interred in the graveyard adjoining the Slate Ridge Church. On the tombstone neatly carved is the following inscription: "In memory of Rev. Dr. John Strain, who departed this life April 12, 1774, aged forty-three years." During a part of the period of the Revolu- tionary war, this and the Chanceford con- gregation was without a regular pastor; Rev. William Smith was for two years of this time a supply; other supplies were Messrs. Sample, Luckey, Finley, Tate and Joseph Smith.

Rev. John Slemons, a graduate of Prince- ton College in class of 1760, became supply to Slate Ridge and Chanceford congregation in 1781, and was installed in 1783. He had been pastor of Lower Marsh Creek congrega- tions (now Gettysburg) from 1765 to 1774. He purchased a farm in Peach Bottom, con- taining 238 acres for £500, and continued to serve these congregations until September, 1791, when he resigned, and there was no regular pastor until 1795, when Rev. Samuel Martin, D. D., was chosen. He was born in Chestnut Level, Lancaster County, January 9, 1767, of parents who belonged to the Asso- ciate Church. He was graduated at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1790, and licensed

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

to preach three years later by the Baltimore Presbytery. He, at first, was pastor of this church only, but April 1, 1800, the congrega- tion of Chanceford asked for one-half of his time for a consideration of £100. He con- tinned pastor until 1812. During this period "the new and better and fourth church built of squared logs" was burned. He lived on the farm, where his successor in the ministry, Rev. Mr. Parke afterward resided. For a time he kept a classical school near the church.

August 10, 1814, Mr. Parke was ordained and installed pastor of this church: "For forty-three years he continued to preach the word, administer the sacraments, visit, cate- chise, comfort the mourning and bury the dead."

The present pastor began his labors here September, 1860. The congregation numbers 200 members and the Sunday-school, 120 members. The congregation having been in existence since 1750, is now (1885) 135 years old.

SLATEVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

This church is located near what is known as the "old slate quarry," about one mile from the Maryland line, and one mile from the borough of Delta. It was organized in the year 1849, by a few members, who with- drew from the Slate Ridge Church. James Galbreath, and Robert Dinsmore were the first ruling elders. Immediately upon its organization, seventeen more members were received, and three additional ruling elders, viz .: David Mitchell, Joseph D. Wiley and Archibald Cooper. Thus this church began its history with fifty-two members and five ruling elders.

The corner stone of the church was laid September 7, 1849, the date of its organiza- tion. The building was used for worship in January, 1850, and dedicated June 8, of the same year. The pulpit was for some time supplied by the presbytery of Donegal. Among the supplies furnished by the pres- bytery was one of its licentiates, Rev. T. M. Crawford, who labored at intervals in this field until the 17th of February, 1851, when the congregation, being so much pleased with his services, unanimously elected him as pastor of this church. Mr. Crawford faithfully served this congregation for twen- ty-one years. Under his ministrations it rapidly grew and prospered. In the year 1872, owing to failing health, Mr. Crawford was compelled to relinquish the charge very much to the regret of the congregation. Happily he preferred to reside within the

bounds of this congregation, and he may be seen every Sabbath day, when not called away, sitting in the pulpit and engaging in the service of Christian worship. Rev. D. M. Davenport, was called as pastor of this congregation on the second Monday of May, 1873. In 1868 the congregation finding their first church too small built a new one at a cost of nearly $7,000. This building was renovated and improved in 1884.

The present membership is about 200, with seven ruling elders as follows: James S. Powell, George A. Davis, Hugh M. Stokes, William James Barnett, J. W. Hickman, M. D., William R. Galbreath and Samuel P. Caskey. The congregation owns a parson- age and five acres of land, which is beauti- fully located about two miles from the church.

PEACH BOTTOM VILLAGE AND FERRY.

The region about this ferry, on both sides of the stream, up and down its banks and on the alluvial islands in it, was a favorite re- sort for the Susquehannock Indians, noted fortheir size, prowess and endurance, accord- ing to the description of them by John Smith of Pocahontas fame, in the James- town colony, who ascended the Susquehanna to within a few miles of Peach Bottom in 1608, while exploring the Atlantic coast. Indian relics, such as mortars, pestles, bat- tle-axes, darts, spear-points, etc., have often been found in this locality. Indian hiero- glyphics are carved on the rocks and cliffs bordering the stream at different points.

In the river opposite Safe Harbor, a dis- tance up the stream from Peach Bottom, are the interesting Sculptured Rocks. The In- dian inscriptions on these rocks have been viewed by a number of archaeologists and reproductions of them were made. They have been greatly injured by time and weather, and ice floes, so that the aboriginal tracings are scarcely recognizable now. On Mount Johnson Island the relic-hunters find evident traces of the Indians. Susquehanna itself is an Indian name and one of its many meanings given is "River of Islands," pure- ly conjectural though. About one-half mile below the Maryland line are rocks called the "Bald Friars" which contain many curious inscriptions made by our aborigines. These have become famous, especially those on Mile's Island and Barrow's Island, where every large boulder contains some f'gures, which are, however, considerably defaced now.

In the year 1725, Thomas Johnson (the

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father-in-law of Col. Thomas Cresap, who owned a ferry near the mouth of the river and was afterward noted in the history of York County as the leader of the Maryland intruders) obtained a Maryland title for the large island at Peach Bottom called "Mount Johnson" there being a mountain at the head of it. On the western shore of this island there is now a valuable shad fishery. Set- tlers under Maryland titles used this ferry as a crossing place as early as 1725. About this time Johnson named it Peach Bottom on account of the abundance of the American redwood or "Judas tree" which in spring time and early summer made the hillsides along the stream look as if they were cov- ered with large peach orchards.

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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 148

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