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 70

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 70

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When your harvest is over. and your corn is in the crib,

You have nothing else to do but to curse the rail- road.

CHORUS-Curse the railroad."

The bar-room of the wayside tavern was often made to ring with this ballad, as well as the turnpike road in the morning, lined with these wagons. .

"Philadelphia was the nearest place to mar- ket," to which the first settlers, until about 1770 conveyed most of their surplus grain. For more than a century of our early history that city was the metropolis of America, and the

most important emporium for the exportation of wheat. Later, the tendency of York County farmers was to market in Baltimore, until York Haven in 1811 became a great wheat emporium on account of the merchant mills there. Since 1830 York has been the great center for the sale and purchase of grain; Hanover second in importance. Large quantities are purchased at Goldsboro, Dills- burg, Wrightsville, and at the numerous merchant mills and railway stations at which warehouses have been erected.

PLEASURE CARRIAGES.

Carriages are a luxury of recent use to the farmers of York County, and yet to-day there are thousands of them owned by farmers and their sons. If our great grandfathers were now to attend a modern camp-meeting and see the array of these modern vehicles, they would be astonished. The old-fashioned gig was owned by a few persons, and some of the wealthy owned a chaise, for a pleasure wagon as far back as 1770. In 1783 there were but thirty of them assessed in the entire county, including Adams County. They were then generally called a "chair." In 1830 the modern carriage began to be made. Previous to that time most of the traveling was done on horseback. People went to church in that way. In the southern part of the county many went in ox carts. Among the Quakers horseback riding was the universal mode. The women of those days became very skillful and daring in the practice. Children were frequently taken along and made to sit in front or behind the rider. Maidens of sixteen or eighteen would take butter and eggs to market in a basket on horseback and heartily enjoyed it.

THE OLD TIME HARVESTS.

The fields were plowed in "lands " by several furrows being thrown together. In harvest time two or four reapers would take a " laud." The harvest season was a time of great enjoyment. Neighboring farmers as- sisted each other. Ten, fifteen, and some- times as many as a hundred reapers, both men and women, worked in one field as a gay, lively company. Town people went to assist. One "through" was reaped, the "grips" were bound on the return, and the keg of ardent spirits tapped at the end of each "round." Before the introduction of the cradle, tradesmen and townspeople all tem- porarily dropped their vocations, and went to "help harvest." On the farm of George Hoke, now William Hoke's place, in West Manchester, in 1828, there were 102 reapers,

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

men and women, reaping with the sickle in one field. They soon cut the grain of that field, and went to another. About the same time, near by, Peter Wolf had fifty-four reapers at work. They passed along like a moving battle line, and made au interesting sight. A good reaper could cut forty-two dozens of sheaves a day. The German scythe, made of malleable iron, sharpened by ham- mering the edge on a small anvil, was used for mowing. The whetstone was carried by the mower, with a horn containing water mixed with vinegar. For cutting spelts, rye and wheat, the sickle was almost universally used until about the beginning of the war of 1812, or possibly five years earlier, when the grain cradle came into use in York County, and in the country in general. The sickle was indeed extensively used much later.

INTRODUCTION OF GRASSES.

The following advertisement, which ap- peared in the Pennsylvania Herald, published then in York, dates the successful introduc- tion of clover seed into York County. It had been used by a very few persons as early as 1765, but not much cultivated. The first seed sold at a rate of what is now equivalent to $20 a bushel. Owing to the dry season of 1838, the following year it sold for $20 a bushel in York County, and for $17 during the civil war.

CLOVER SEED.

Those farmers who would wish to improve their land and stock, and put money in their purses by cultivating that valuable new article, CLOVER, would be supplied with SEED by applying to the subscriber, near York, or to Samuel C. Updegraff, iu said town. CALEB KIRK.

February 14, 1792.

Red clover and timothy, native grasses of Europe, were not grown much in Pennsylva- nia before 1800, except to experiment. About this date their introduction became general. In some sections of York County they were never successfully grown until after the era of commercial fertilizers. The German scythe could not cut them well, which caused the introduction of the English scythe. These new grasses grew well on upland regions. They were found to be better food for domes- tic animals than the native meadow grasses. Spelt-wheat and barley held sway in York County for nearly a century, when they gave way, in the decade between 1820 and 1830, to red wheat and the blue-stem wheat. The ears were smooth. Many varieties of wheat have since been cultivated with success. In order to yield most abundantly, it is found necessary to change the seed once in five or six years.

CULTIVATION OF FRUIT TREES.

As soon as a tract of land was cleared and the young fruit trees could be obtained, an abundance of apple, peach, pear and cherry trees were planted. In no country did they grow more luxuriantly than that of our an- cestors. Winter apples, "cherry bounce," "apple jack" and "peach brandy" soon be came plentiful. The "snitzings" and "apple- butter boilings" were parties where mirth and hilarity reigned.

THE BIG BARN AND THE SECOND HOUSE.

There were no large barns, such as seen now by the hundreds, in York County. The first ones were either log or stone. After a few years, as saw-mills became established along the streams, the huge trunks of the oak and the walnut were sawed into scantlings and boards, and some of the later immigrants, who came from eastern counties of the State, began at once to construct large buildings. The rye, the only winter grain that produced well at first, was very useful. Its straw was used for thatching roofs, for making bee- hives and bread-baskets. A well-made straw roof lasted many years.

The second house built was two stories high, of stone or logs, with weather-board- ing. Many of them had a large chimney in the center, after the German custom. The English and Scotch custom was to build chimneys on the outside of the house, one at each gable end. They were made of stone or brick. Among the wealthier classes large buildings were constructed about the year 1812, and even earlier. In York, at a very early day, there were some massive and im- posing structures, with large apartments, spacious hallways and easy stairs. Some of the wood carving was beautifully done, show- ing artistic workmanship. Among the farm- ers, when a large mansion was built, it was always the custom of the owner to honor his wife by placing her name beside his own, with the date of erection, on a tablet at a conspicuous place on the building.

PRICE OF LAND AND LAYING OUT OF TOWNS.

The price of land varied greatly at differ- ent periods of our history. Some of the most valuable was purchased of the proprie- taries at a few shillings an acre. Owing to the depreciation of the continental currency, it became enormously high during, and shortly after the war of the Revolution. In this State it rose enormously in price after the passage of the bill in the Pennsylvania legis- lature, in 1814, establishing forty State banks. Gov. Simon Snyder vetoed this bill,

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but it was passed over his veto. Money in a depreciated form became enormously plenty, and farm land sold for more than double its former and real value. In this county several new towns were laid out that year on account of the apparent prosperity. Among them were Liverpool, Jefferson, Franklintown, New Market, Sowego, Georgetown, Millerstown, Jacobstown, Siddonstown, and the old town of Manchester. Some of them were only "paper cities," and when the collapse soon after came, their prospects of future great- ness ended.

FERTILIZERS.

The first fertilizer used was barnyard manure, which is still considered the best. Plaster was applied before the present cen- tury. Lime was used for plastering houses, and for mason work, many years before its virtues were known to generate the necessary sustenance, and furnish it to the roots of the growing crops. In 1817 it was experimented with in Hellam and Spring Garden Town- ships, but it was not much used in the county on the land until about 1828; by 1830 it was put into general use. The conservative sentiment of many farmers prevented them from applying it for many years after, and those who did use it were at first ridiculed as foolish and visionary.

Societies and associations for the diffusion of knowledge and the growth of the physical sciences, especially chemistry and geology, about this period, led to great developments in agriculture. From that time forth agri- culture began to be studied as a science, and lime became very extensively used.

Bonedust, guano, phosphates, and other artificial fertilizers, are now used in great abundance in York County, and seem to pro- duce especially good results in slate and shale lands.

The rotation of crops began with the intro- duction of lime.

THRASHING MACHINES, REAPERS, ETC.

The introduction of the thrashing-machine, superseding the laborious methods of tramp- ling with horses and pounding with the flail, was a great curiosity. At first only the wealthy farmers bought them. Laboring men and fogy farmers opposed them as an innova- tion, injurious to the interests of the poor man. It was not many years, however, be- fore all enterprising farmers used them, and the laboring man found his task much easier. The same discussions arose when other labor- saving machines were invented. "Taking bread out of the poor man's mouth," was the cry. Most men now would rather not put

the bread into the mouth at all, than re. turn to the old methods of sowing, harvest- ing and thrashing the crops. It is quite probable that the ancient Egyptian could thrash and clean his grain, 3,000 or 4,000 years ago, as well as the York County farmer could before the introduction of the thrashing machine, when from six to twelve bushels per day were what one man could thrash out with the flail. By treading with horses, he could possibly treble this amount. Then came the horse-power, thrashing first 100, then 300 or more bushels per day and cleaning it; finally, the steam thrasher of to-day, traveling from farm to farm, and thrashing 600, 800, and sometimes over 1,000 bushels in a day, or 50,000 bushels in a year.

The double-toothed, turning grain rake and hay rake succeeded the common hand rake about 1838, and continued in use until 1860. The modern sulky rake, a still greater im- provement, has since been used. The old Colter plow gave place to the present much easier running plow of to-day.

All the small cereals were, for an entire century of the history of agriculture in York County, sowed by hand and "harrowed or plowed in." The grain drill came into use in 1843 or thereabouts, and has, like many other implements, undergone many changes since. Perhaps the greatest triumph and the one which created the most curiosity among farmers, was the invention and suc- cessful nse of the mower and reaper. If a farmer purchased one of these, all his neigh- bors, for miles distant, went to see it operate. It was then that the would-be friend of the laboringman shook his head and said: "It is taking bread out of the poor man's mouth." The McCormick reaper was the first to be used in this county, introduced in 1853. Various other kinds soon were purchased in Hanover, York and Dover. Reaping ma- chines, like thrashing machines, had been devised centuries before in a crude form, but it was not until the time of the great World's Fair in London, in 1852, where the Amer- ican machinery attracted so much attention, that they came into prominent use. From 1852 to 1855 their circulation was immense, and their manufacture very profitable. In 1855 Conrad Moul, of Hanover, began man- ufacturing the "Hussey " reaper and mower. Ilgenfritz & White, of York, the next year, made the "Atkins." The following year, Flickinger Bros., of Hanover, began making the "Dorsey," and Hoffheins, of Dover, his own invention soon after. The McCormick was invented and tried in 1831, and the "Hussey " reaper in 1833. These were the

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

first American machines. A noticeable his- torical fact is that Obed Hussey, the inventor, was a descendant of Nathan Hussey, who was one of the commissioners to lay off York County in 1749, and one of the first Quaker settlers in the county.

The typical York County farmer of to-day is conservative, industrious and, in general, prosperous. He labors hard from sun-up to sun-down, during the summer months; strives to constantly improve his land and make his farm and farm buildings more attractive every year. The Pennsylvania German is now the predominating class, many of them lineal descendants of the first settlers. They pursue their honorable and independent oc- cupation without much knowledge of the science of agriculture, yet by industry and frugality have generally prospered. The farm mansions and the large bank-barns, painted in some predominating color, dot every section of York.County, and lend great charm to the attractiveness of the landscape scenery. The section occupied by the de- scendants of the Scotch-Irish of recent years, by improved cultivation has been made to produce cereal crops beyond the expectation of the most sanguine landowner of twenty years ago.

STATISTICAL.

The census of 1880 reports 4,008, 907 farms in the United States, 213,542 in Pennsylvania containing 91,791,341 acres, of which land 6,- 368,334 acres are unimproved and generally covered with woods and forests. The value of Pennsylvania farms is estimated at $975, - 680,400.

The number of farms in York County in 1880, was 7,327, containing 516,269 acres. There were 5,579 farms cultivated by their owners, the rest by tenants. There were 101,096 acres of unimproved land, 91,839 acres of which was woodland, the balance waste land. Value of farms in York County, including lands, fences, and buildings, $31, - 142,021; value of farming implements and machinery, $1,283,115; value of live stock, $2,626,362; cost of fertilizers purchased, $480,576; estimated value of all farm pro- ductions for the preceding year (1879) was $4.623,232. During the same year there were raised in York County, 1,211,340 bushels of wheat, on 81,805 acres; 141,052 bushels of rye, on 13,776 acres; 1,066,110 bushels of oats, on 46,120 acres; 1,739,885 bushels of corn, on 63,053 acres; 55,066 bushels of buckwheat, on 3,425 acres; 471 bushels of barley, on 28 acres.

There were raised 68 bushels of flax seed,

producing 1,994 tons of straw, or 7,333 pounds of fiber, and 1,200 gallons of sor- ghum molasses made. Of hay, there were 87,617 tons made and 5,543 bushels of clover seed raised; poultry of all kinds, 247,704. Number of eggs laid for the entire year of 1879 was 1,537,900; honey taken from bees, 22,122 pounds, from which 707 pounds of wax were made.

TOBACCO CULTURE .- ITS HISTORY.

The tobacco plant, now so extensively cul- tivated in America and Europe, is indigen- ons to our country, being originally found in a wild state by early settlers of the sub- tropical regions. It was introduced into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, and as early as 1614 its use had become fashionable in England, Spain and France. About the date mentioned it became one of the great staples of the Jamestown colony in Virginia. The colonists brought over by Penn engaged in tobacco culture, and as early as 1689 four- teen cargoes of tobacco were exported from this province to the mother country. The amount of these cargoes is unknown, and it soon ceased to be an article of exportation from Pennsylvania, as its cultivation de- clined. The first settlers of our county may have cultivated it to a limited extent, for home consumption, but as far as it can be authoritatively stated, the first tobacco grown in this county was introduced during the early part of the present century. It was of an inferior quality, familiarly known to the common populace as the "shoe-string to- bacco," a hybrid of the Kentucky seed. It was raised principally along the low districts adjoining the Susquehanna River, on both the York and Lancaster County side and on the islands in the stream. It was a heavy, black, gummy product, aud narrow in the leaf, hence the origin of the nick-name given to it. The climate here did not seem to be suited to the growth of the pure Kentucky tobacco. The inferior tobacco, after being cured, was sold at low figures ranging from $1 to $3 per hundred pounds. The cigars manufactured from it by unskilled workmen, were of the crudest form, and were commonly called " tobies." They were sold at an average price of $1.25 per thousand, and re- tailed at four for one cent ; no revenue tax was paid on them. Persons who indulged in "the weed," were usually accommodated with one of the " fragrant tobies," free of charge, at many of the taverns, after partak- ing of a meal and paying for the same. It is amusing to hear old citizens relate how rudely constructed those cigars were. They

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contained a vast amount of nicotine, the stimulating element in tobacco, and were doubtless very injurious to the smoker.

A. New Era .- Previous to the year 1837, Pennsylvania was not known as a tobacco grow- ing State. The early census reports scarcely recognized tobacco as one of the agricultural products of the State. It was the year above mentioned that Benjamin Thomas, father of John F. Thomas of York, who was then an enterprising farmer and tobacconist of Wind- sor Township, York County, conceived the idea that if a finer quality of cigar leaf were obtained, the soil of this county, when prop- erly fertilized, would be specially adapted to the cultivation of tobacco. He accordingly secured some Havana seed, a specimen of Cuban tobacco, experimented with it himself, on his farm, which is now owned by ex- County Commissioner Charles F. Haines of Windsor, and then distributed the seed he raised the first year among his friends in York and Lancaster Counties, along the river districts. This was really the beginning of the better seed-leaf tobacco raising in Penn- sylvannia, and antedates its introduction into Lancaster County, which county has for many years past become famous for this valuable product. That county has long had a national reputation for the production of an excellent quality of tobacco ; whereas, when the abso- lute truth is known, it is not to-day, and never was superior to the York County to- bacco, if raised and cured by skilful farmers. This is a fact of history which the intelligent farmers of York County should know. The current reports, for many years circulated, which proved to be detrimental to the in- terests of York County raisers, originated thorough the shrewd machinations of design- ing monopolists in the trade, who resided outside of our county, and whose whole pur- pose in misrepresenting the quality of tobacco raised in York County was for the purpose of sending purchasers into the county and buying it at a low price. This was done for many years.

As a matter of fair argument, it is self- evident that the product of this county must be, of necessity, similar to that of Lancaster County, for the plain and significant reasons that the meteorological, climatic and geolo- gical conditions of our neighboring county, are the same as those of our county : the soil is similar, containing the same variety, and upon analysis has the same constituent ele- ments. It has lately been discovered that the slate soil of the lower end of York County, at first considered unfit for the raising of

tobacco, is now most admirably adapted to its growth.

The New Tobacco. - The tobacco Mr. Thom- as introduced, after being raised a number of years, changed its peculiar characteristics from the small Cuban leaf to the larger Pennsylvania leaf, retaining the better qual- ities of the finer seed leaf than that of the old "shoe-string." Mr. Thomas, the first year after distributing his seed, bought up the entire crop of York and Lancaster Coun- ties, in all about fifteen hogsheads. It was packed at that time, peculiar to the style of the South. The crop was subsequently sold to Heald, Buckner & Co., Philadelphia, to- bacco dealers. The manufacturers of that day pronounced it to compare favorably with Connecticut leaf. In the following year it became a fair competitor of the Connecticut tobacco, and the pioneer in this industry found it necessary to pack it in cases as was the custom in Connecticut. The territory of its cultivation was then limited to a few miles of the river shore, on both sides. In 1840, the quantity cultivated had increased to about one thousand cases for that year. The territory then extended from Goldsboro', this county, down the river to East Prospect, on this side, and from Bainbridge to Turkey Hill, on the Lancaster County side, and east and west about two miles from the river shore. This was then regarded as the full extent of the Pennsylvania tobacco growing district. There was some ground beyond this limit, but considered at that time of an in- ferior quality. From 1840 to 1850 the culti- vation of "Pennsylvania seed-leaf" gradually increased, and at the latter date the product had reached 2,500 cases of 400 pounds each. During this time all raised in York and Lan- caster Counties was purchased by Benjamin F. Thomas, the pioneer in the industry, and packed in York, Wrightsville and Columbia, until 1853, having associated with him a part of the time his son, John F. Thomas. About this time P. A. & S. Small, of York, becoming interested in this industry, obtained a consider. able quantity of Connecticut seed, which they had their agents distribute among the grow- ers of the two counties. From this dates the introduction of Connecticut seed-leaf into Pennsylvania. From 1853 to 1860, P. A. & S. Small were associated with Messrs. Thomas & Son in purchasing the crop of the two counties. The first-named firm continued in the business until 1865. In 1853-54-55, they tried the experiment of exporting large quan- tities of it to Bremen, Germany, but found the shipping, commissions, and government

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charges so expensive, that the business was considered unprofitable. In those days this tobacco, already incased, realized to the wholesale dealers, wrappers from 6 to 11 cents, and fillers from 4 to 53 cents per pound. The farmer then received from 3 to 7 cents per pound: a very fine quality was sold for 9 cents. German orders were received for the tobacco seed of Pennsylvania at one time. It was gathered in York County, hermetically sealed, and sent to the city of Baltimore to a representative of the German Government, then located there, who sent it to his country.

The Tobacco Product .- From the few thousand pounds raised in the Jamestown Colony in 1815, tobacco has continued as an important product until to-day its production in the world reaches 1,500,000,000 pounds, and it has been estimated that 800,000,000 of people or one-half of the population of the globe use it in some form. There is no instance on record of an article that is un- necessary to the human race, to have gained such an extensive circulation in so short a time. It has grown to some extent now in every State and Territory in the Union, and is a staple in sixteen States, which produced in 1884 over 500,000,000 pounds. According to the census report of 1880, during the pre- ceding year there were 27,566 acres planted in tobacco in Pennsylvania, which produced 36,943,272 pounds; of this amount Lancas- ter County produced 23,946, 236 pounds, and had 16,992 acres planted. York County produced 5, 753, 766 pounds, and had 4,567 acres planted. This illustrates that they are the leading counties engaged in the cultiva- tion of tobacco in this State. It is since 1879 that the great boom has taken place in this county. In 1881 there were about 10,- 000 acres planted. In 1840 the total produc- tion returned for the State was 225,018 pounds. of which York County produced 162,748 pounds, or about one-half of the en- tire crop. Lancaster County grew only 48, - 860 pounds. During the year 1845 there was a great increase in its cultivation, but the Mexican war the following year, caused the growth of wheat to be more remunera- tive, and the prices of tobacco declined for a time. Not a pound is reported for Lancas- ter County in 1850. The amount grown as reported in the census of that year in Penn- sylvania, was 912,651 pounds. This was after the close of the Mexican war. York County again took the lead and is credited with a production of 418, 555 pounds, nearly one-half of the entire amount. Lawrence County came next and Dauphin third. In

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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 70

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