The three original counties of Pennsylvania, established ...



The three original counties of Pennsylvania, established by William

Penn in 1682, were Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. Chester County

included all the land (except a small portion of Philadelphia County,

southwest of the Schuylkill to the extreme limits of the State.

Lancaster County was formed and taken from Chester May 10, 1729; York

was taken from Lancaster August 9, 1749. Cumberland County remained a

part of Lancaster until it was itself erected a separate county,

January 27, 1750. Franklin County, the then southwestern part of

Cumberland, and known as the "Conococheague Settlement," was

established September 9, 1784. To understand the early history of this

country, the reader will need therefore, to bear in mind two facts:

1. Prior to January 27, 1750, its territory (with the exception

of Warren township) was found in the county of Lancaster.

2. From January 27, 1750 to September 9, 1784, it belonged to

Cumberland County. Since the latter date (September 9, 1784) it has had

a distinct organization of its own.

Long prior to Greeley's famous advice, "Go west, young man," or

Bishop Berkley's oft-quoted "Westward the course of empire takes its

way," the tide of migration was toward the setting sun. Since the race

began, the line of movement has been along the parallels, and in the

direction of the receding darkness. The early settlers of the

Kittatinny or Cumberland Valley came from the older eastern countries,

where they located soon after their landing on the Atlantic coast. No

record exists of those who may have wandered through this region on

prospecting or hunting tours, if any such adventurers ever did make

these hazardous trips. As early as 1719, John Harris had commenced a

settlement near the present site of Harrisburg, and for many years

afterward ran a ferry across the Susquehanna at that point known as

Harris' Ferry. On either side of the river were Indian villages, the

one where Harris lived being known as Peixtan or Paxtan. On the western

side of the river, at the mouth of the Conodoguinet, at the present site

of Bridgeport, and at the mouth of the Yellow Breeches, were three

Indians towns, at which trading posts were established. At the

last-named place, James Chartier, an Indian trader, had a store and

landing place. It is claimed by some that James Le Tort, one of these

traders, after whom the beautiful stream in Cumberland County was

named, lived at a very early period at a place called Beaver Pond, near

the present site of Carlisle.

What is now Cumberland County had settlements at various points

away from the river. Richard Parker and his wife settled three miles

north of Carlisle in 1724. His application at the land office in 1734

was for a warrant to land on which he "had resided ye ten years

past." George Croghan, an Indian trader, whose name occurs frequently

in early records, lived about five miles from the river on the north

side of the Conodoguinet. He owned tracts in various parts of the

county, a large one being north of Shippensburg. He did not cultivate

all these, but changed about as his convenience and trade demanded. He

was an Irishman of common education, and in later years lived at

Aughwick or Old Town, west of the North Mountains, where he was trusted

as an Indian agent. In the settlement commenced by James Chambers near

Newville, then known as Big Spring, a group of inhabitants, so numerous

as to form and support a religious society as early as 1738, was found,

consisting of David Ralston, Robert Patterson, James McKehan, John

Carson, John Erwin, Richard Fulton, Samuel McCullough and Samuel Boyd.

Robert Chambers, brother of the preceding, as well as of Benjamin, who

located at Falling Spring, formed a prosperous settlement near Middle

Spring, about two miles north of Shippensburg. At the same early date.

The first settlers were such men as Hugh and David Herron, Robert

McComb, Alexander and James Young, Alexander McNutt, Archibald, John

and Robert Machan, James Scott, Alexander Sterrett, Wm. And John Piper,

Hugh and Joseph Brady, John and Robert McCune, and Charles Morrow. In

asking that the State road, which was laid out in 1735-36 might be

directed through that neighborhood rather than through Shippensburg,

the petitioners claimed that theirs was the more thickly settled part.

By some (footnote: Historical discourse of Rev. S. S. Wylie at the

Centennial celebration in Middle Spring. This claim, however, is

incorrect. Blunston's license to Benjamin Chambers at Falling Spring

was dated March 30, 1734.) it is claimed that in the Middle Spring

settlement the first land in the Cumberland Valley taken under

authority of the "Blunston Licenses" (footnote: Samuel Blunston of

Wright's Ferry (now Columbia) was authorized by the proprietaries to

make a partial survey of land and to grant to settlers permission to

take up and improve, or continue to improve, such lands as they

desired, with the promise that a more perfect title should be given

them when the Indian claims should be extinguished. The Indians were

also assured that these claims would be satisfied as soon as the

pending Indian treaties should be completed. The first of these

licenses was dated January 24, 1733-34 and the last October 31, 1737.

Appended is a copy of one of these: "Lancaster County, ss.- By the

Proprietary: These are to license, and allow Andrew Ralston to continue

to improve and dwell on a tract of two hundred acres of land on the

Great Spring, a branch of the Conedoguinet, joyning to the upper side

of a tract granted to Randle Chambers for the use of his son, James

Chambers; to do hereafter surveyed to the said Ralston on the common

terms other lands in those parts are sold; provided the same has not

been already granted to any other person, and so much can be had

without prejudice to other tracts before granted. Given under my hand

this third day of January, Anno Domini 1736-7. Pennsylvania, ss. Sa.

Blunston.") and assigned to Benjamin Furley, was located. According to

the record in the county surveyor's office at Chambersburg, this tract,

embracing some 1094 acres and allowances, warranted December 18, 1735,

and surveyed April 15, 1738, was situated on the Conodoguinet Creek in

what was then Pennsborough Township, Lancaster County, but now

Southampton Township, Franklin County. It was subsequently occupied by

William, David, James and Francis Herron, William Young, and John Watt.

Where Shippensburg now stands, a settlement was made as early as

1730. In June of that year, according to Hon. John McCurdy, the

following persons came to that locality and built their habitations:

Alexander Steen, John McCall, Richard Morrow, Gavin Morrow, John

Culbertson, Hugh Rippey, John Rippey, John Strain, Alexander Askey,

John McAllister, David Magaw and John Johnston. They were soon followed

by Benjamin Blythe, John Campbell and Robert Caskey. From this

settlement ultimately sprang a village older than any other in the

Cumberland Valley. It was a distributing point for settlers, and hence

important, as will be shown by the following letter written therefrom:

(dated May 21, 1733)

Dear John: I wish you would see John Harris, at the ferry, and get

him to write to the Governor, to see if he can't get some guns for us;

there's a good wheen of ingns about here, and I fear they intend to

give us a good deal of troubbel, and may do us a grate dale of harm. We

was three days on our journey coming from Harrisses ferry here. We could

not make much speed on account of the childer; they could not get on as

fast as Jane and me. I think we will like this part of the country when

we get our cabbin built. I put it on a level peese of groun, near the

road or path in the woods at the fut of a hill. There is a fine stream

of watter that comes from a spring a half a mile south of where our

cabbin is bilt. I would have put it near the watter, but the land is lo

and wet. John McCall, Alick Steen and John Rippey bilt theirs near the

stream. Hugh Rippey's daughter Mary (was) berried yesterday; this will

be sad news to Andrew Simpson, when it reaches Maguire's bridge. He is

to come over in the fall when they were to be married. Mary was a verry

purty gerl; she died of a faver and they berried her up on rising groun,

north of the road or path where we made choice of a peese of groun for a

graveyard. She was the furst berried there. Poor Hugh had none left now

but his wife, Sam and little Isabel. There is plenty of timmer south of

us. We have 18 cabbins bilt here now, and looks (like) a town, but we

have no name for it. I'll send this with John Simpson when he goes back

to Paxtan. Come up Soon; our cabbin will be ready to go into a week and

you can go in till you get wan bilt; we have planted some corn and

potatoes. Dan McGee, John Sloan, and Robert Moore was here and left

last week. Remember us to Mary and the childer; we are all well. Tell

Billy Parker to come up soon and bring Nancy with him. I know he will

like the country. I forgot to tell you that Sally Brown was bit by a

snaik, but she is out of danger. Come up soon.

Yr. Aft. Brother, James Magraw.

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