History of the Counties of Berks and Lebanon, Pa.

1017 Pages·1844·55.789 MB·English

by  Isaac Daniel Rupp

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HISTORY
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COUNTIES
OP
BERKS AND LEBANON
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:
CONTAINING A^BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS
Who inhabitedthis region ofcountry, and the numerous Murdersby
them; notices ofthefirst Swedish, Welsh, Trench, German, Irish,
and Englishsettlers, givingthe names ofnearlyfivethousand
ofthem, BiographicalSketches, typographicaldescriptions *
ofevery Township, and of the Principal Towns
and Villages the Religious History, with
;
much useful Statistical information
;
notices ofthe Pre33 & Education.
EMBELLISHED 3Y SEVERAL APPROPRIATE ENGRAVINGS.
COMPILED FROM AUTHENTIC SOURCES
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BIT I. B 3 L R U B B
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Authorof He Paba Eeieuesia, bto., etc.
/ PUBLISHED AND SOLD
QH.ioi BY G. HILLS. PROPRIETOR
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Entered, according to an act of Congress, in the year 1843,
BY GILBERT HILLS, PROPRIETOR, LANCASTER,^
Iii the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.
JOHN H. PEARSOL, PRINTER, LANCASTER, PA.

PREFACE,
The writer made no attempt in this compilation, as can he
done in regular history, in which causes and effects are minute-
ly given, to preserve a consecutive chronological arrangement
offacts; it was not his design to do sc; he simply aimed at em-
bodying in a convenient foim, notices of the leading incidents
that occurred in Berks anel Lebanon, ficm their earliest settle-
ments*; and with that view, preserved, as far as practicable,
original documents, letters, extracts, etc., knowing that these
are always read with much interest by the great majority.
The design of this work is to preserve the most interesting
local facts relating to the Indians who inhabited this region of
country, the numerous sanguinary massacres committed by
them; .to give brief historical sketches of the first Swedish,
Welsh, French, German, Irish, and English settlers, and as far
as practicable, to preserve the names ci these who resided a
century ago, within the limits of these counties, and to occa-
sionally intersperse biographical sketches cf some of the pio-
neers or their immediate descendants, of ministers of the gospel,
so far as they had been connected with the church in these
How
counties, &c. far this has been done, is left to the can-
did reader to say. Nothing has been left undone on the pait
of the compiler, to collect facts from authentic sources and ar-
range them according to the best of his judgment.
To compile a work like this, is attended with difficulties that
A
none know of, except those whom experience has taught.
remark corroborative of this may be found in the preface to
“ The Description of the Borough of Reading 55 by Major WiL
,
'
IV PREFACE.
—
liana Stahle. The author says: “That the execution of his
design was not free from difficulty, may be inferred from the
fact that it was undertaken many months ago, and has been
prosecuted with unremitted diligence to the present moment.
The difficulties attending a work of this description far exceed
those of ordinary authorship. It is easy to write an essay, or
a plausible argument, on almost any subject, but difficult to as-
certain facts. It is pleasant to sit at one’s ease and write out
a tale of fictitious love or woe not so, to scour the streets,
;
noting the material, and measuring the height of houses, and
inquiring into the business of their inmates. It was the gather-
ing of the materiel for the book that gave me the most troubled
and it is in the fidelity with which this task has been performed,
that its principal merit consists.”
In a compilation of this kind, made up of letters, <Scc., with
original remarks occasionally, a diversity of style cannot be
avoided; especially where the very words ofauthors quoted, and
contributors, are preserved. Where the sentiment, or a mere
tact of an author is embodied in these pages, the usual marks of
credit are given.
The acknowledgments of the compiler are due the following
gentlemen, for facts furnished by them:
Messrs. H. K. Strong, State Librarian; Charles M’Chne,
Secretary of the Commonwealth; Charles Kessler, John S.
Richards, T. P. Jones, Joel Ritter, John K. Longnecker, Wil-
liam Rank, Jacob Weidlc, Jacob Ream, Charles Troxel, Abra-
ham De Tirlc, Thomas E. Lee, Joseph Light, Adam Ulrich,
Doctors Leineweaver, Isaac ISiester, C. 11. Hunter, the Hens.
John Ritter, H. A. Muhlenberg, the Ilevd’s Miller, Eucher,
Pauli, Herman, Ulrich, Leinbach, Ernst, Wagner, Rotlirauif.
To those gentlemen who received the writer, while collecting
materials, so hospitably, he would thus publicly return his
thanks for their kindness.
Lancaster, Pa., July 12, 1844.