USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Franklin County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > The history and topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry counties [Pennsylvania] > Part 31
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The Swatara creek, along which the Union canal lies, runs close by the town. On the banks of the Swatara, a short distance from town, is a remarkable cave, about half a mile in length ; it is inuch visited in the summer serson ; The visi- ter, as in all subterranean caverns, receives, on entering it, in summer, " a cold reception." It abounds with stalactites and stalagmites. Not far from this cave, rises the lofty iso- lated mountain called Round Top, from whose height a fine prospect of the surrounding scenery can be had.
High Spire, post town of Swatara township, on the bank of the Susquehanna, was laid out about thirty years ago ; it contains about thirty houses, a store and two taverns, two churches and a mill. It is on the turnpike road leading from Harrisburg to Middletown, six miles from the former and three from the latter. The Pennsylvania canal and the Har- risburg and Lancaster railroad pass through it. The inhab- itants are distinguIshed for industry.
Rocktown, appropriately named, is a small town in Lon- donderry township, on the " Conewago Hills," two miles south of Middletown, on the turnpike road, and consists of a few houses.
Franklin, also Londonderry township, is a small village, consisting of four or five dwellings, and tavern. The elec- tion is held here.
Cortown, a pleasant little village, in Susquehanna town- ship, on the bank of the Susquehanna, containing ten or twelve houses, a Methodist church, a school house, two tav- erns and several mechanic shops. The village received its name from Mr. Cox, the proprietor. It is on the turnpike road four iniles north of Harrisburg.
Linglestown, a post town of Lower Paxton township, laid out by Mr. Lingle, after whom it is called, is a small village
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HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.
but pleasantly situated, south of the Blue mountain, on the road leading from the Susquehanna to Jonestown, in Leba- non county. It contains between twenty and thirty dwell- ings, a Lutheran church, meeting house and several houses, two stores and two taverns. Paxton creek rises a few miles north-east of it, and passes near it.
Greensburg or Dauphin, formerly called Port Lyon, is a post village in Middle Paxton township, was laid out about twenty years ago by the late Hon. Innis Green, it is on the turnpike road from Harrisburg to Clarks Ferry, eight miles from Harrisburg, at the confluence of Stoney creek, with the Susquehanna. It is a thriving village, consisting of about one hundred dwellings, many of which are commodious, and substantially built. It contains two stores, four taverns, two churches, a Methodist, and a German Reformned, two school houses, and one of the most extensive tanneries in the inte- rior of Pennsylvania. It is on the south side of the creek. In 1830 it was carried on by Eldridge and Birch, of Phila- delphia-now owned by Mr. Patton, & Co. of Phila.
Four miles above this place is Emnaline Furnace, at the mouth of Clarkes creek, in a fine valley, pretty well im- proved.
Millersburg, a post town of Upper Paxton township, north of Berry's mountain, at the confluence of the Wiscon- isco creek with the Susquehanna, twenty-three miles north of Harrisburg, on the road leading to Sunbury. It was laid out by Daniel Miller, formerly of Lancaster county, in 1805 or '6. It stands on an elevated spot, a short distance from the river ; contains between seventy or eighty dwellings, two stores, two taverns, three churches ; a Methodist, a Luther- an, and an Evangelical ; one mill ; and three mills near it.
Millersburg will, ere long, become a place of some impor- tance, being situated near the coal regions, with which it communicates bythe Lykens valley railroad, and with Harris- burg by the Wisconisco canal, and the " Main Line."
The first settlers of this region were Huguenots. Fran- cis Jacques, or Jacobs, resided some time at Halifax, but afterwards located here, where he had taken up several thousand acres of land. Among others, Klein Larue, (La- roi) Shorra or Jury, Werts, Stoever,* (Stoeverling) Shutts,
* Daniel Stoever shot r wolf (1817) from his porch, that was in pur- suit of his cattle ; two miles above Millersburg.
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HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.
were early settlers here. Lycans, William, Revalt, Fer- rees, and others, settled higher up the valley.
At Lycan's, on the Wisconisco creek, the Indians fired upon Lycan and Revalt, (March 7, 1756,) while foddering the cattle. For the particulars, see chap. vii.
Berrysburg, a post town, in Miffiin township, on the road leading from Millersburg, through Lykens' valley into Schuylkill county; it is 35 miles from Harrisburg; contains be- tween 20 and 30 dwellings, several stores and a tavern.
Gratztown, a post village of Lykens township, was laid out by Mr. Gratz, after whom it is named, between 30 and 40 years ago. It is on the road leading from Millersburg to Read- ing, and contains between 40 and 50 dwellings, several stores and taverns, and the usual number of handicrafts, found in country villages. It is 30 miles from Harrisburg.
Wisconisco is a small village, started since the mining oper- ations have commenced at Bear Gap. It contains 20 or more miner's houses, mechanics' shops, &c. It is quite a bustling place.
Snyderstown, in Mahantango township, is a very small village.
Oak Dale was laid out in 1830 or '31, and is contiguous to the coal mines: in 1831 it had an excellent public house, called "Oak Dale," opened by Mr. Burr, son of the cele- brated bridge builder.
Duncan's Island, as the place is now called, remarkable for many interesting incidents in the early history of this county, is at present a flourishing settlement, at the mouth of Choniata, Juneauta, or as now spelled Juniata river, four- teen miles above Harrisburg. This island and Haldeman's are near the western shore of the Susquehanna, which is here nearly a mile wide, and is crossed by a substantial wooden bridge-the second one erected here-the first having been destroyed by a remarkable freshet seven or eight years ago. A dam across the river just below the bridge, creates a pool, on which boats cross by means of a double or two story towing path attached to the bridge, The canal continues up Duncan's Island-at the junction it diverges into the Juni- ata and Susquehanna divisions.
Duncan's Island is nearly two miles long, at the lower point of which the small village is situated.
"This Island says Watson was the favorite home of the
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Indians, and there are still many Indian remains. At the angle of the canal, near the great bridge, I saw the mound covered with trees, from which were taken hun- dreds of cart loads of human bones, and which were used with the intermixed carth, as filling materials for one of the shoulders or bastions of the dam. What sacrilege! There were also among them beads, trinkets, &c."-Watson's An- nals, ii. 192, '3.
The Swedish family of Huling came originally from Marcus Hook, and settled this fine island-" Mrs. Duncan's (late proprietor of the Island) grandfather to Marcus Huling, was one of the earliest settlers in this section of the country.
He settled, (possibly as early as 1735,) on the upper end of the island. Her other grandfather, Watts, was also another settler in this vicinity. Mr. Hulings established a ferry across the mouth of Juniata, and built a causeway at the upper end of the island for pack-horses to pass. A Mr. Baskin established a ferry across the Susquehanna at the foot of the big island, (Haldeman's.) The trade was at that time carried on entirely with pack-horses. When the hostile Indians broke in upon the frontier in 1756, Mr. Hurlings left here and went out to Fort Du- quesne, and afterwards became proprietor of the point where Pittsburg now stands. Becoming discontented with his situation in that disturb- ed frontier, he sold out for £200, and returned to Duncan's island, where he re-established his ferry and made further improvements. A bloody fight occurred on the island between the whites and Indians about the year 1760. On one occasion news came to Mr. Hulings that the Indians were coming down the river to attack the settlement. Hu- lings packed up a few of his valuables in great haste, and putting his . wife and child upon a large black horse, fled to the foot of the island, ready to cross over at the first alarm. Thinking that perhaps the In- dians might not have arrived, he ventured back alone to the house to try to save more of his effects. After carefully reconnoitering the house, he entered and found an Indian up stairs, coolly picking his flint. Stopping some time to parley with the Indian so that he might retreat without being shot at, his wife became alarmed at his long de- lay ; and, fearing he had been murdered by the Indians, she mounted the black charger, with her child on her lap, and swam the Susque- hanna .* This was in the spring when the river was up. Our mod- ern matrons would scarcely perform such an achievement. Her hus- band soon arrived, and in his turn, became alarmed at her absence ; but she made a signal to him from the opposite side, and relieved his anxiety .- Day's His. Col. p. 290.
David Brainerd a distinguished missionary among the Indians visit- ed them here and elsewhere on the Susquehanna in the autumn of 1744 ; again in May 1745, when he visited many towns and settlements of the Indians ; some seven or eight tribes, and preached to different nations by different interpreters. On the 17 May he left Shamokin. The 19
* She came down to Fort Hunter, now McAllister's. A Mrs. Berry- hill got safe to the same place ; but her husband was killed and scalp ed .- Watson,
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HISTORY OF DAUFHIN COUNTY.
he visited an Indian town called Juneauta situated on an island in the Susquehanna. Was much discouraged with the temper and behavior of the Indians here ; although they appeared friendly when I was with them the last spring, and then gave me encouragement to come and see them again. But they now seemed resolved to retain their pagan notions, and persist in their idolatrous practices.
Sept. 20 .- Visited the Indians again at Juneauta island, and found them almost universally very busy in making preparations for a great sacrifice and dance. Had no opportunity to get them together, in order to discourse with them about Christianity, by reason of their being so much engaged about their sacrifice. My spirits were much sunk with a prospect so very discouraging ; and especially seeing I had this day no interpreter but a pagan, who was as much attached to idolatry as any of them, and who could neither speak nor understand the language of these Indians ; so that I was under the greatest disadvantages imagina- ble. However, I attempted to discourse privately with some of them, but without any appearance of success : notwithstanding, I still tarried with them.
In the evening they met together, nearly 100 of them, and danced around a large fire, having prepared ten fat deer for the sacrifice. The fat of the inwards they burnt in the fire while they were danc- ing, which sometimes raised the flame to a prodigious height ; at the same time yelling and shouting in such a manner that they might easily have been heard two miles or more. They continued their sacred dance nearly all night, after which they ate the flesh of the sacrifice, and so retired each one to his own lodging.
I enjoyed little satisfaction ; being entirely alone on the island, as to any Christian company, and in the midst of this idolatrous revel; and having walked to and fro till body and mind were pain- ed and much oppressed, I at length crept into a little crib made for corn, and there slept on the poles.
Lord's day, Sept. 21 .- Spent the day with the Indians on the island. As soon as they were well up in the morning I attempted to in- struct them, and labored for that purpose to get them together ; but soon found they had something else to do; for near noon they gathered together all their powaws, or conjurers, and set about half a dozen of them playing their juggling tricks, and acting their fran- tic, distracted postures, in order to find out why they were then so sickly upon the island, numbers of them being at that time disor- dered with a fever and bloody flux. In this exercise they were engaged for several hours, making all the wild, ridiculous, and dis- tracted motions imaginable, sometimes singing, sometimes howling, sometimes extending their hands to the utmost stretch, and spread- ing all their fingers ; they seemed to push with the n as if they design- ed to push something away, or at least keep it off at arm's end ; some- times stroking their faces with their hands, then spurting water as fine as mist ; sometimes sitting flat on the earth, then bowing down their faces to the ground ; then wringing their sides as if in pain and anguish, twisting their faces, turning up their eyes, grunting, puffing, &c.
Their monstrous actions tended to excite ideas of horror, and seemed to have something in them, as I thought, peculiarly suited to raise the devil, if he could be raised by anything odd, ridiculous, and frightful
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Some of them, I could observe, were much more fervent and devout in the business than others, and seemed to chant, peep, and mutter with a great degree of warmth and vigor, as if determined to awaken and en- gage the powers below. I sat at a small distance, not more than thirty feet from them, though undiscovered, with my bible in my hand, resolv- ing, if possible, to spoil their sport, and prevent their receiving any answers from the infernal world, and there viewed the whole scene. They continued their horrid charms and incantations for more than three hours, until they had all wearied themselves out; although they had in that space of time taken several intervals of rest ; and at length broke up, I apprehended, without receiving any answer at all.
After they had done powawing, I attempted to discourse with them about Christianity ; but they soon scattered, and gave me no opportu- nity for anything of that nature. A view of these things, while I was entirely alone in the wilderness, destitute of the society of any one who so much as " named the name of Christ," greatly sunk my spirits, and gave me the most gloomy turn of mind imaginable, almost stripped me of all resolution and hope respecting further attempts for propagat- ing the gospel and converting the pagans, and rendered this the most burdensome and disagreeable Sabbath which I ever saw. But nothing, I can truly say, sunk and distressed me like the loss of my hope re- specting their conversion. This concern appeared so great, and seemed to be so much my own, that I seemed to have nothing to do on earth if this failed. A prospect of the greatest success in the saving conversion of souls under gospel lighit would have done little or nothing towards compensating for the loss of my hope in this respect ; and my spirits now were so damped and depressed, that I had no heart nor power to make any further attempts among them for that purpose, and could not possibly recover my hope, resolution, and courage, by the utmost of my endeavors.
The Indians of this island can, many of them, understand the Eng- lish language considerably well, having formerly lived in some part of Maryland, among or near the white people; but are very drunken, vicious and profane, although not so savage as those who have less acquaintance with the English. Their customs, in various respects, differ from those of the other Indians upon this river. They do not bury their dead in a common form, but let their flesh consume above the ground, in close cribs made for that purpose- At the end of a year, or sometimes a longer space of time, they take the bones, when the flesh is all consumed, and wash and scrape them, and afterwards bury them with some ceremony. Their method of charming or con- juring over the sick, seems somewhat different from that of the other Indians, though in substance the same. The whole of it among these and others, perhaps, is an imitation of what seems, by Naaman's ex- pression, (2 Kings v. 11,) to have been the custom of the ancient hea- then. It seems chiefly to consist in their "striking their hands over the diseased," repeatedly stroking them, " and calling upon their god ;" except the spurting of water like a mist, and some other frantic cere- monies common to the other conjurations which I have already men- tioned.
When I was in this region in May last, I had an opportunity of learn- ing many of the notions and customs of the Indians, as well as observ- ing many of their practices. I then travelled more than 130 miles
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upon the river, above the English settlements ; and in that journey met with individuals of seven or eight distinct tribes, speaking as many different languages. But of all the sights I ever saw among them, or indeed anywhere else, none appeared so frightful, or so near akin to what is usually imagined of infernal powers, none ever excited such images of terror in my mind, as the appearance of one who was a devout and zealous reformer, or rather restorer of what he supposed was the ancient religion of the Indians. He made his appearance in his pontifical garb, which was a coat of bear-skins, dressed with the hair on, and hanging down to his toes ; a pair of bear-skin stockings, and a great wooden face painted, the one half black, the other half tawny, about the color of the Indians' skin, with an extravagant mouth, cut very much awry; the face fastened to a bear skin cap, which was drawn over his head. He advanced towards me with the instrument in his hand which he used for music in his idolatrous worship ; which was a dry tortoise-shell with some corn in it, and the neck of it drawn on to a piece of wood, which made a very convenient handle. As he came forward he beat his tune with the rattle, and danced with all his might, but did not suffer any part of his body, not so much as his fingers, to be seen. No one would have imag- ined from his appearance or actions, that he could have been a hu- man creature, if they had not had some intimation of it otherwise. When he came near me I could not but shrink away from him, al- though it was then noonday, and I knew who it was; his appearance and gestures were so prodigiously frightful. He had a house conse- crated to religious uses, with divers images cut upon the several parts of it. I went in, and found the ground beat almost as hard as a rock, with their frequent dancing upon it. I discoursed with him about Christianity. Some of my discourse he seemed to like, but some of it he disliked extremely. He told me that God had taught him his reli- gion, and that he would never turn from it, but wanted to find some who would join heartily with him in it; for the Indians, he said, were grown very degenerate and corrupt. He had thoughts, he said, of leav- ing all his friends, and travelling abroad, in order to find some who would join with him; for he believed that God had some good people somewhere, who felt as he did. He had not always, he said, felt as he now did; but had formerly been like the rest of the Indians, until about four or five years before that time. Then, he said, his heart was very much distressed, so that he could not live among the Indians, but got away into the woods, and lived alone for some months. At length, he said, God comforted his heart, and showed him what he should do; and since that time he had known God, and tried to serve him; and loved all men, be they who they would, so as he never did before. He treated me with uncommon courtesy, and seemed to be hearty in it. I was told by the Indians, that he op- posed their drinking strong liquor with all his power; and that, if at any time he could not dissuade them from it by all he could say, he would leave them, and go crying into the woods. It was manifest that he had a set of religious notions which he had examined for himself, and not taken for granted upon bare tradition ; and he rel- ished or disrelished whatever was spoken of a religious nature, as it either agreed or disagreed with his standard. While I was dis- coursing, he would sometimes say, "Now that I like; so God has
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taught me," &c .; and some of his sentiments seemed very just. Yet he utterly denied the existence of a devil, and declared there was no such creature known among the Indians of old times, whose religion he supposed he was attempting to revive. He likewise told me that departed souls went southward, and that the difference between the good and bad was this : that the former were admitted into a beanti- ful town with spiritual walls, and that the latter would for ever hover around these walls in vain attempts to get in. He seemed to be sincere, honest, and conscientious in his own way, and according to his own religious notions ; which was more than I ever saw in any other pa- gan. I perceived that he was looked upon and derided among most of the Indians as a precise zealot, who made a needless noise about reli- gious matters ; but I must say that there was something in his temper and disposition which looked more like true religion than any thing I ever observed among other heathen. But, alas ! how deplorable is the state of the Indians upon this river ! The brief representation which I have here given of their notions and manners is sufficient to show that they are led captive by Satan at his will," in the most eminent manner ; and methinks might likewise be sufficient to excite the compassion and engage the prayers of God's children for these their fellow-man, who, " sit in the region of the shadow of death."- Memoirs.
On the 23d of September Brainerd left the Indians and returned to the Forks of Delaware, (Bucks county, now Northampton).
The following interesting facts were furnished by Mitchell Steever, Esq., of New Port, Perry county :
" At one time when Mr. William Baskins, grand uncle to Cornelius and James Baskins, having a crop of grain on what is now called Duncan's Island (having however previ- ous removed his family to Fort Hunter for security) return- ed with part of his family to cut the grain; and while en- gaged, all on a sudden they were startled by the yell or whooping of Indians, who were hard by ; however, on dis- covering that they were neighbors, their alarms were quiet- ed ; but, alas! they were deceived ; for the barbarous sava- ges, as soon as near enough, gave them distinctly to under- stand that their object was their scalps! At this moment, they all fled in consternation, hotly pursued, towards the house, and when there, Mr. Baskins, in the act of getting his gun, was shot dead and scalped ; his wife, a daughter of about seven, and a son three years old, were abducted. A Mr. McClean who was also in the field, plunged into the river and swam the Juniata, at what is called the "Sheep Island," and concealed himself in the cleft of rocks, on the opposite side, and thus eluded the pursuit of the savages and saved his life.
Mrs. Baskins effected her escape from the Indians some
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where near Carlisle; the daughter was taken to the Miami country, west of the Ohio, then an unbroken wilderness, where she was detained for more than six years, when in conformity to a treaty made with the Indians, she was de- livered up, and returned. She was afterwards married to Mr. John Smith, whose son James is now residing in New Port, Perry county, and to whom I am indebted for this in- teresting tradation. The lad, that was taken at the same time, was carried to Canada, where he was raised by Sir William Johnston, not knowing the name of the boy, when he was baptised by a missionary, was named, Timothy Mur- phy. He was afterwards discovered by Alexander Stevens, Mr. James Stevens' father, who resides in Juniata township, Perry county, by some peculiar mark on his head. He has visited his friends in Perry. James Smith, his nephew, when at Canada in defence of his country, during the late war, visited him and found him comfortably situated near Malden in Upper Canada, and the owner of a large estate."-See Chap. vii.
The present Clark's Ferry, near Duncan's Island, was called Queenashawakee by the Indians, and the Juniata near by it was spelled Choniata. This ferry was once a great fording place-a little above it, at the White Rock, on the river side, John Harris had, in 1733, a house and some fields cleared, which was complained of by the Indians.
CHAPTER XXII.
Original settlers-Present population-Education-Relief of the Poor.
In preceding pages it has been stated that settlements had been made within the present bounds of Dauphin, prior to 1719 or 1720. Prior to 1729, or 1730, all that portion south of the Blue mountain, was settled. James Logan, in a letter to John Penn, Esq. dated February 27th, 1731-2, says, " I must further observe that almost all the lands on Susquehanna, south of the hills above Pextang, that bound what is habitable on the east side of the rivers are generally settled by our people, though the Five Nations still claim them .- HAZ. REG. of Pa. iii. 210.
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