west of the Susquehanna; the general plan embraced streets forming
perfect squares, with widened space in center of town, junction of
Market and George Streets, for market purposes; these privileges are
still used. Court house in east Market Street, classic; porch with
granite Ionic columns; built, 1903; architect, J. A. Dempwolf; contains
portraits of York County judges; Museum of York County Historical
Society, open every afternoon except Sunday; has large collection of
Indian implements, of war and peace; and etchings by Rosenthal. An
annual art exhibition is held in York. Post Office, classic, Ionic.
Among the many places of worship, several now standing were erected more
than one hundred years ago, including St. John’s Episcopal, in which is
tablet to Colonel Thomas Hartley. In burial ground of First Presbyterian
Church is tomb of James Smith, the signer, who died, 1806; another
[Illustration: CAVALRY STATUE, ERECTED IN 1904, CENTER SQUARE, HANOVER
_Cyrus E. Dellam, Sculptor_]
signer, Philip Livingston, of New York, who died while Congress was in
session here, is buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, where also are the
tombs of General William B. Franklin of the Civil War; his brother Rear
Admiral Samuel R. Franklin; Judge Jeremiah S. Black; and several hundred
Civil War soldiers.
In mentioning the notable men of York, we must include Colonel Hance
Hamilton, first sheriff of York County in 1750; Colonel Richard
McAllister, founder of Hanover, first President Justice of the County
Courts under the Constitution of 1776, and later President of the
Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania; James Ross, born, 1762,
served two terms in the United States Senate, making there an eloquent
speech favoring the Louisiana Purchase, which led to its result; and
Senator Matthew S. Quay, born in Dillsburg, 1833, whose father was
pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Other places marked by tablet are,
site of building of the Franklin Press, where valuable papers were
published during the Revolution, and building of General Anthony Wayne’s
headquarters.
In 1761, the Mary Ann Furnace was built on Furnace Creek; at the same
time a road was cut from there, to connect with the road to the Conewago
settlement leading to Baltimore; the furnace was started by George Ross
of Lancaster, the signer, his brother-in-law, George Stevenson, a lawyer
of York County, and William Thompson, later a general in the Revolution;
and continued for fifty years, under other owners; besides making pig
iron, stoves, and household iron ware, cannon balls and grapeshot were
cast here. The Spring Creek Forge was erected by George Ross, previous
to 1772, and was active many years.
[Illustration: CUMBERLAND COUNTY]
VI
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Formed January 27, 1750; named for county of Cumberland, England. One of
the two or three rich agricultural valleys in the United States. Early
industries were iron furnaces and forges. First settlers, Scotch-Irish,
men of stout heart and wonderful nerve; almost contemporaneous with
their building forts and providing means of protection for themselves
and families, they established Presbyterian churches, the fine springs
of the valley being selected as sites, namely, Silver Springs Church,
nine miles west of the Susquehanna; Trindle Spring, now a Lutheran
Church; Meeting House Spring, now First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle;
curious old carvings are in Meeting House Springs burial ground; Big
Spring Church, at Newville; and Middle Spring Church, above
Shippensburg, a monument to Revolutionary soldiers is here; all continue
in active existence. The early pioneer countenanced the institution of
slavery, at one period as many as 307 negroes were held as slaves in
this county, the last of them in 1840; on November 1, 1780, an act was
passed, directing that all slaves and those held as such in Pennsylvania
should be registered; but thereafter all should be free men and women.
SHIPPENSBURG, population 4372, first permanent settlement in the county,
founded in 1730, was the only town on the line of the “Great Road” when
it was laid out from John Harris’ Ferry, on the Susquehanna, to the
Potomac, from 1735-44; this road was the first effort to connect the
wilderness west of the Susquehanna with the civilization in the earlier
settlements. First bridge erected in the county was over Letort Spring,
on east Main Street, Carlisle, about 1780, replaced in 1795 by a stone
bridge; several stone arch bridges are over the Yellow Breeches Creek;
at the eastern end is Miller’s Mill bridge, over one hundred years old,
three arch stone, in good condition; Alexander’s bridge is one mile
north of Carlisle on the Conodoguinet Creek, colonial with wooden cover,
one span, is very old.
County seat, CARLISLE, named for shiretown of Cumberland County,
England; population 10,916; the town is laid off at right angles, with a
large public square in center; Bellair Park on the banks of Conodoguinet
Creek is one mile from center of town; Lindner Park faces Franklin and
Louther Streets, five squares from center; Mount Holly and Boiling
Springs Parks are outlying, reached by trolley. The courthouse faces
Center Square, Corinthian, Bryant & Witt, architects, built, 1846, one
of the portico columns shows marks, in broken flutings, of the shelling
of Carlisle, captured by General Lee, during the Civil War; contains
portraits of judges of the local court. First Presbyterian Church also
faces Center Square, main auditorium built in 1757, Greco-Roman, blue
limestone with white marble linings, showing early bonding in stone
masonry; tower added and parish house built, 1873. The Young Men’s
Christian Association half square from Center, on High Street, French
Renaissance, built, 1908; architect, M. I. Kast, Harrisburg. County
jail, one square from Center, corner High and Bedford Streets, Tudor,
built, 1854, brownstone, is a small copy of the Castle of Carlisle,
England, note the limestone arch in east wall of the yard; architects,
Myers & Gutshall. Post office, two squares from Center, corner of Pitt
and Louther Streets, classic Renaissance, built, 1909, J. Knox Taylor,
architect, Washington, D. C. Historical Society, corner of Pitt Street
and Dickinson Avenue, brick, built 1878-80, architect, George Rice,
contains historical library, papers, and museum.
DICKINSON COLLEGE on campus of seven acres, with law school one square
south, Conway Hall one square west, and the Herman Bosler Biddle
Memorial Athletic Field, with colonial gateway, made in 1909, architect,
H. E. Yessler, three squares west; Main Building, “Old West,” built,
1803; blue limestone mellowed by time, with façade of fine proportions;
arched doorways and windows; architect, Colonel Latrobe, first
government engineer and architect, brought from England; auditorium
contains portraits of John Dickinson, Dr. Nisbet, and others; the James
W. Bosler Memorial Hall; Romanesque; built in 1885; George Rice,
architect; contains portraits of notable alumni, including President
James Buchanan and Dr. Benjamin Rush, also marble bust of James Bosler,
and fine copy of Salvator Rosa’s “The Conspiracy of Cataline,” original
in the Pitti Palace, Florence; the J. Herman Bosler Memorial Library,
architects, Baldwin & Pennington, Baltimore; classic; built, 1899; white
marble entrance vestibule, lighted by memorial window, Burne-Jones
design, made by Maitland Armstrong & Company; Denny Memorial Recitation
Hall, Collegiate Gothic, built, 1905, M. I. Kast, architect.
St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church faces Center Square, has memorial
altar, white marble, with Caen stone reredos, and windows made by
Maitland Armstrong & Company; First Lutheran Church, one square east of
Center, corner of High and Bedford Streets; Italian Renaissance; yellow
brick, black and white trimmings; built, 1900; J. A. Dempwolf,
architect, York, Pennsylvania. The second Presbyterian Church, corner of
Hanover and Pomfret Streets; Gothic; built, 1869, has memorial window
over door, Moorish design; and fine fretwork choir rail. St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church; east Pomfret Street, has rose window of Tiffany glass;
and other windows from Munich; also memorial marble altar.
Ashland Cemetery, York Street, nearly a mile east from Center, contains
bronze statue, “Angel and Child,” made by Lamb & Co., in James W.
Bosler’s lot. The “Old Grave Yard,” three squares from Center, on east
South Street, contains Mollie Pitcher’s grave and monument; bronze
portrait figure standing, on granite pedestal, with bronze reliefs of
battle scenes extended on both sides; sculptor, J. R. Schweizer,
Philadelphia; a Civil War cannon is in front; old English and German
carvings from the year 1700 are in this cemetery. At Mount Rock, five
miles west of Carlisle, is the Ionic Monument, in memory of Governor
Ritner from 1835-39; erected by the state in 1902; architect, J. W. Ely,
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
[Illustration: DICKINSON COLLEGE, “OLD WEST,” CARLISLE]
THE INDIAN SCHOOL, one mile northeast from Center, was formerly a
military post, buildings were destroyed by Fitz Hugh Lee in 1863,
excepting the old guard house, built by the Hessian prisoners during the
Revolution, in 1777; this was the original “West Point” for the training
of officers and artisans, and for the manufacture of arms and munitions.
In 1776, and throughout the War, anthracite coal was taken down the
Susquehanna River from the Wyoming mines to the armory at Carlisle, said
to have been the first shipment of anthracite coal in this country;
there are now about twenty-five or thirty buildings, brick, of varied
architecture, on twenty-five acres of ground; gateway, Georgian, M. I.
Kast, architect, built, 1910; native Indian art is on exhibition in the
Leupp studio. George Washington joined the army of 15,000 men, as
Commander in Chief, at Carlisle, for suppression of the Whiskey
Insurrection in 1794; he was the guest of Ephraim Blaine; the army was
located on the opposite side of the town from the military post.
The Civic Club of Carlisle is placing classic art prints in the
public-school buildings. Interesting colonial houses: residence of
Ephraim Blaine, built, 1795, now law office and dwelling of Edward
Stiles, built, 1815; of Stephen Duncan, built, 1815, used by the
Fraternity of Owls; and that of Isaac B. Parker, built, 1820, the home
of the Elks.
In 1762, Richard Peters of Philadelphia obtained a patent for 388 acres
of land at Boiling Springs, and executed a deed to John S. Rigby & Co.,
for twenty-nine acres on which they had already commenced the erection
of a blast furnace, they bought two ore banks at the foot of South
Mountain, and soon after added 1614 acres of land, and called the
property “Carlisle Iron Works”; it passed through several ownerships,
until, in 1792, Michael Ege became sole owner; the furnace produced
twelve to fifteen tons of metal a week, mostly pig iron, but they also
cast stoves, fire backs, and hollow ware. William Denning, in 1776, made
two wrought iron cannon in Mount Holly Gap, about six miles south of
Carlisle, the first ever made; one in use at the Battle of Brandywine
was captured by the British and deposited finally in the Tower of
London; the British Government offered a large sum of money and an
annuity to William Denning, to instruct them how to make wrought iron
cannon, but he refused; he died in 1830, age ninety-three, at his home
near Newville, his monument there, given by the state, shows a square
marble base surmounted by a cannon. Pine Grove Furnace was built on
Mountain Creek, halfway between Carlisle and Gettysburg, the recorded
ownership dates from a proprietary grant in 1762 for 450 acres on
Mountain Creek to Thomas Pope; it is now part of the State Forestry
reservation.
VII
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Formed March 11, 1752; named by Thomas Penn; prior to the Revolution
comprised all the northeast section of Pennsylvania; chief industries,
Bethlehem Iron and Steel Works, where 15,000 men are employed day and
night; silk mills, graphite works, and other manufactories. Here were
Washington’s storehouses along the Delaware River, with supplies for all
branches of the army; a point of attack by the British battling between
West Point and Trenton, buildings are still in evidence. The famous
backwoods rifles used by two thousand Pennsylvanians against the British
at Boston were made here.
County seat, EASTON, founded by Thomas Penn, 1751; at “The Forks of the
Delaware, where the water is deep and smooth,” population 33,813. In
center of the public square is the monument to soldiers of this county
in the Civil War, on site of the old Northampton court house that stood
for a hundred years; on its threshold was promulgated the Declaration of
Independence, the same day as in Philadelphia; the old court house bell,
that rang out then, is still doing public service. The first flag,
combining stars and stripes, as an emblem of a new nation, was made
here, showing thirteen eight pointed stars and thirteen stripes in the
field, this flag is said to be the one now in the Easton Public Library,
deposited in 1821, after being used in the War of 1812; in a special
room of the
[Illustration: NORTHAMPTON COUNTY]
library is the private collection of Samuel Sitgreaves, with rare
volumes of American history. Next to Sitgreaves’ office was the home and
shop of Henry Derringer, a gunmaker of the Revolution, whose son
invented the Derringer pistol. On the public square, Light Horse Harry
Lee, from Virginia, recruited his troop of Pennsylvania Germans, and
horses. Valuable papers and moneys belonging to the state and national
government were placed in the custody of Robert Levers, during British
occupancy of Philadelphia.
The old Union Church, now the Reformed, on North Third Street, stone,
colonial, built, 1775-76, was used as a hospital in the Revolution; this
is the principal residential street, and entrance to LAFAYETTE COLLEGE,
founded, 1832, by James Madison Porter, Secretary of War; has
interesting collection of portraits of Lafayette, in oil and black and
white, also valuable old engravings; on the campus is statue of
Lafayette, by Daniel Chester French, given by Morris L. Clothier, Esq.
In the New Century Art Club, New and Porter Streets, lectures on art and
exhibitions are given. A bridge leads across the Delaware to
Phillipsburg, New Jersey, first wooden bridge built, 1797; north of the
bridge is Riverside Park, leading to North Delaware Road and the
Delaware Water Gap; the Wind Gap has precipitous sides; very beautiful
scenery is on the River Road.
In July, 1782, Washington came from Bethlehem to Easton. BETHLEHEM, in
Lehigh County, is the seat of government of the Moravian economy, from
Moravia in Bohemia, in the western hemisphere, dating back to 1740;
these pioneers belonged to the Church of the Brethren, organized in
1457 by followers of John Huss about forty years after he had been
burned at the stake for conscience’ sake; the little church was revived
in Saxony in 1722; to this church Count Nicholas L. Zinzendorf granted
an asylum on his own estate; the count visited the Brethren here in
1741. On July 25, 1782, Washington, with Colonel Trumbull and Major
Welker, stayed overnight at the Sun Inn; Brother Ettwein and others of
the Fraternity called to pay their respects; the Sun Inn was built in
1761, Peter Warbas the first host; the suite occupied by General
Washington and his wife is still shown to visitors. During the
Revolution the Moravian settlement experienced many horrors and
discomforts of war; the tramp of armed men through its quiet streets
began in July, 1775; in December most of the houses were taken for
hospitals, being on the main route of travel from the eastern states;
many distinguished soldiers were here, Greene, Knox, Gates, Stirling,
Sullivan, Schuyler, von Steuben, De Kalb, Pulaski, de Chastelleux, also
Samuel and John Adams, Hancock, Laurens, Livingston, Boudinot, Reed,
Rittenhouse, Gerard; in autumn of 1777, Lafayette, under careful nursing
of a Moravian sister, Liesel Beckel, rapidly recovered from a wound
received in the Battle of Brandywine. General hospital of the
Continental Army was here, 1776-78.
The Moravian Church, plain and dignified architecture, after a German
model, is full of sunlight within, contains Moravian archives and
Schussele’s large oil painting, “Power of the Gospel,” showing
Zeisberger preaching to the Indians; the organ and vocal music is
exceptionally fine. The Moravian College and Seminary for young women
includes instruction in housekeeping; moral training is a particular
feature. The Widows’ house, built, 1768, endowed by John Jordan, Jr.,
Philadelphia, for widows and daughters of Moravian ministers and other
women who have served the church. The Sisters’ house, formerly first
Brethren’s house, was used for home of unmarried women of advanced age;
now a boarding house. Second Brothers’ house, where unmarried men could
live and still gain independent support, is now “Colonial Hall,” a part
of the Seminary. Corpse house still stands with its weeping willow tree;
because of the small rooms of the houses, the body was taken from the
home to the corpse house for three days; the trombone choir announced a
death from the church steeple by a particular choral that designated
whether it was for man, woman, or child; at the burial the trombone
choir met the procession at the cemetery gate and took part in the
service at the grave; in the Moravian burial ground are graves of many
Indians, among them that of Uncas, in Cooper’s “Last of the Mohicans,”
inscription, “In memory of Tschoop, a Mohican Indian, who, in holy
baptism, April 16th, 1742, received the name of John, one of the first
fruits of the mission at Wycomico, whereby he became a distinguished
teacher among his nation. He departed this life in full assurance of
faith at Bethlehem, August 27, 1746.” The graves are in rows, sisters
and brothers separate, with small stone markers. Bethlehem had the
second waterworks system in the United States, 1760.
A covered wooden bridge over one hundred years old, to be replaced by
modern structure, crosses the Lehigh River to SOUTH BETHLEHEM,
Northampton County, seat of Lehigh University, built, 1866; in 1865, Asa
Packer gave $500,000 for founding a free technical college for boys in
South Bethlehem, largest single benefaction any American college had
received up to this time; this was the beginning of Lehigh University,
opened the following year; later a classical department was opened at
Mr. Packer’s direction, who gave the University $1,500,000 during his
life, and left it by will another $1,500,000, to ease the struggle
upwards of boys with whose ambitions he sympathized; this University is
particularly noted for its course in engineering, with the Fritz
Engineering Laboratory, endowed with over $1,000,000; there are also a
gymnasium with swimming pool, and a stadium.
The BACH FESTIVAL, announced by the trombone players from the tower of
Lehigh University Chapel, has been held annually since 1911, first
performance was in 1888. In 1780, the settlement had an orchestra, said
to be the first in America, flutes, horns, viols, and trombones were
permanent factors in their church music, which undoubtedly led up to the
present development; frequently referred to as the American Bayreuth; a
quartet of trombones summoning the people, as do the trumpets in
Germany; in 1901, the Christmas Oratorio was given in its entirety,
first in America; they have also given the Passion, and the Mass in B
Minor; J. Frederick Wolle, pupil of Rheinberger, organist of the
Lutheran Church, has charge of the music; choir consists of 200 voices,
natives of Bethlehem, excepting leading soloists; the orchestra and
instrumental soloists vary, the Philadelphia Orchestra has played here.
Location of Bethlehem is scenically quite as beautiful as Eisenach in
the Thuringian forest, where the famous Wartburg, with memories of
Tannhaeuser, Bach, and Luther attract thousands of tourists and
pilgrims. In NAZARETH are old stockaded forts of the Indian wars, where
were maintained 365 settlers from beyond the mountains, now used by the
Moravian Historical Society for their collection of relics, curios, and
portraits of noted Indians. Whitfield house, built, 1755, old English,
contains Moravian Historical Collection; Nazareth Hall, built, 1748, was
school for young men. At Boulton, near Nazareth, is Benjamin West’s
first tragic painting, “Death of Socrates.”
[Illustration: BERKS COUNTY]
VIII
BERKS COUNTY
Formed March 11, 1752; reduced to present limits, 1811; named for
Berkshire, England, where Penn family had large estates; has broad,
fertile plains and valleys, intermingled with rough hills and mountains
containing mineral wealth in iron. First settlers were Germans, and
Friends from England, 1704-12, among whom was George Boone, ancestor of
Daniel Boone of Kentucky, who was born here, in Exeter Township, 1735.
Mordecai Lincoln, great-great-grandfather of Abraham Lincoln, also lived
in Exeter Township; he owned one thousand acres of land, had interest in
iron forges; and built a small stone house in 1733, that now forms one
end of the present homestead, which remained in the Lincoln family until
1912; the Lincoln men of Berks County were all men of note, several
holding public positions; one, Abraham, married Anna Boone; he died,
1806.
In 1729, Conrad Weiser came over with Germans from the Palatinate and
settled near Womelsdorf, where he is buried in the family burial ground;
marked by boulder; his granddaughter was married to the “Patriarch”
Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg; farm and burial ground of Conrad Weiser,
purchased by the Burks County Historical Society, is to be maintained as
a Memorial Park. The Dutch came in 1730; their descendants still reside
on their ancestral estates; they named the river, flowing through the
county, Schuylkill (hidden creek); Indian name was Manai-unk. When war
was declared between England and France, the French found the Indians
eager to join them against the British, and after Braddock’s defeat at
Fort Duquesne in 1755, they devastated these peaceful settlers, by fire
and slaughter, until 1778, when they were driven beyond the Alleghenies.
This region has become famous for wine making; vines are grown on Mount
Penn, Neversink, and the Alsace Mountain slopes; over fifty years ago,
George L. Reiniger left the fertile vineyards of Wurtemberg and settled
here, where the soil, scenery, and environment seemed so much like the
fatherland; these vineyards are now used for the cultivation of dahlias.
READING, county seat; population 107,784; was laid out in 1748 by agents
of Richard and Thomas Penn; named for Reading, in Berkshire, England.
Courthouse on Penn Common, Fifth and Penn Streets, built, 1762; present
building in 1840, on north Sixth Street; colonial with Ionic porch;
cupola eighty-four feet above the roof. In the park are equestrian
statue of General David McMurtrie Gregg, by H. Augustus Lukeman, New
York; the Firemen’s Monument; “The First Defenders”; and Frederick
Lauer, all designed and made by P. F. Eisenbrown, Sons & Company,
Reading; the bronze statue of President McKinley, reliefs and eagles,
was designed by Edward L. A. Pausch, Buffalo, New York. Prison, Penn
Street and Perkiomen Avenue, red sandstone, castellated Gothic, built,
1846; architect, John Haviland. A two story building, northeast corner
of Fifth Street and Penn Square, was built in 1764 for a tavern;
Washington stayed here in
[Illustration: THE JAIL AT READING
_John C. Haviland, Architect_]
1794, en route to join troops against the Whiskey Rebellion; now
Farmers’ Bank; it is marked as the oldest building in town. The Hessian
camp ground, southwest of Reading, is also marked.