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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