AREA HISTORY: History of Adams County, Chapter XL, Adams County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/adams/ _______________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886 _______________________________________________ Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 304-312 CHAPTER XL. MENALLEN TOWNSHIP. The streams of this township are Conowago Creek, forming a part of the southern boundary, and its numerous northern feeders; Opossum Creek, rising in Bear Mountain and flowing north by east to Bendersville; thence southeast, and Mountain Creek which rises in the western foot hills of Piney Hill, flowing northeast into Cumberland County. There are many mountain streams coursing throughout the township, bringing a wealth of water to the higher lands and affording a full supply in all seasons to the settlers in the valleys. Piney Hill ranges northeast through the western part of the township: Bear Mountain holds a central position; Pine Hill is on the Butler Township border; Rattlesnake Hill, southwest of Bendersville near Flora Dale; Round Top, just north of Bendersville, and North Hill, east of Round Top. Mountains form the dividing line between Menallen and the southern townships of Cumberland County. The elevation at Bendersville is 737 feet. The valleys present to view well cultivated farms, substantial farm-houses and foot-hill pasture lands. The outcrop shows micaceous ore, magnetic ore near Bendersville; sandy conglomerate; decomposed trap, mica schist, chloritoid rock, mountain creek rock, limestone, slate in varied forms, talcose schist (summit of South Mountain), impure limonite, porphyry, dolerite sandstone seamed with quartz; orthofalsite, chlorite schist, argillaceous sandstone, purple quartzose schist (cummit of Piney Hill). In March, 1870, the Dauphin Coal Company, leased the farms of John Culling, Henry Eppelman and Cornelius Bender on Opossum Creek, near Bendersville, for iron and coal mining purposes. In March, 1882, F. A. Asper opened a coal vein at Eppelman's mill, near Bendersville. This was lignite, an inferior coal. On January 6, 1874, Benjamin Deardorff cut the largest white pine tree in Menallen Township, north of Cole's mill, which measured four feet across at the stump, and gave four logs aggregating 111 feet. In January, 1873, sounds like the cries of some of the great wild beasts in distress, were heard in the valley of the Conococheaque, in Menallen Township. In July, 1876, Michael Orner found a turtle on his farm in this township, marked "D. W., 1790," and many marked by the Orners in 1832 and 1846. In 1854 Jonas Rouanzahn built the Opossum Creek wooden bridge on the Gettysburg and Carlisle road for $1,456. In 1859 Francis Cole built the wooden bridge at Cole's saw-mill, on the Conowago, for $699. In 1808 a stone bridge was erected by Contractor John Murphy, over the Conowago, in Menallen Township at Fehl's mills. The length was fifty-two feet, three arches; cost $1,787. This bridge was replaced by a wooden structure some years prior to 1870. In 1870 an iron bridge was built by Samuel Stouffer over Opossum Creek, at Eppelman's mill, for $1,592. The Gettysburg and Newville road was laid out in 1829-30 by J. F. McFarlane, J. Stambaugh, J. Harper, J. M. McKeehan, J. Cassatt and D. Groove. One of the means adopted for running the line straight, was to make a bonfire on the hills each night and thus mark the course. The population of the township in 1800 was 1,285; in 1810, 1,510-759 males, 733 females, 13 slaves and 24 free colored; in 1820, 1,855, including 47 free colored; in 1830, 2,063; in 1840, 2,273; in 1850, 1,654 (71 colored); in 1860, 1,680 (49 colored); in 1870, 1,814 (54 colored) and in 1880, 2,016. The number of taxpayers (1886) is 674; value of real estate, $436,619; number of horses, etc., 466; number of cows, etc., 463; value of moneys at interest, $59,802; value of trades and professions, $17,650; number of carriages, 190; of gold watches, 9; of silver watches, 1; of acres of timberland, 10,372. The retailers of foreign merchandise, wine and liquors in 1824 were Philip Long, Simon Backer, Charles F. Keener, Samuel Wright, William Robson, and James Bell. The only dealer in merchandise alone was George Wilson. The constable making the returns was Jacob Dottanny. S. Wright, delegate from Menallen, in the convention of November 4, 1834, voted in favor of adopting the common school system. The State appropriation was $237.33 and the tax $229.74. From the beginning of settlement in this part of the county, liberal contributions of men and money were made to the country. Washington Morrison and D. Stuart McKnight were the first soldiers from Bendersville to answer the call for troops made in April, 1861. They were mustered in with Company E, Second Volunteer Infantry. A reference to the general history will discover the names of many of the early soldiers of this township. The Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad crosses a portion of the eastern limits of the township. The postoffices in Menallen are Bendersville, Flora Dale, Aspers and Wenks. The tax payers of this township in 1799, which then comprised a part of Butler Township, are named as follows, with the trade and assessed valuation given: John Alert, silversmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $240 Robert Alexander, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522 Nicholas Burger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 848 Yetter Burger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Michael Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876 John Blackburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Thomas Blackburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584 Moses Blackburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 Finley Blackburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 John Blackburn, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Michael Benedick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Michael Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 978 Christian Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Henry Balsley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711 William Boyd, saw-mill and tavern . . . . . . . . . . 672 Edward Blakely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 James Blakely, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 James Blakely, Jr., saw-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Valentine Berger, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 Jacob Banser, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Henry Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 914 John Baldwin, single . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804 Conrad Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624 Jacob Boysel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 John Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,280 Isaac Byers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 682 Michael Bittinger, blacksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Nicholas Bittinger, grist-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,100 Christian Bachman, miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 George Blanckley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759 Conrad Blanck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484 John Brenisholtz, blacksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 Widow Baush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Thomas Baldwin, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,100 John Carson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668 John Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660 Peter Conrad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 John Conrad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Thomas Cochran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,881 Thomas Crenics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Conrad Dull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,825 Henry Dael, or Doel, colored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 George Crowl, mason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Fred. Diehl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,648 Nicholas Deitrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,204 Baltzer Deitrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,192 Joseph Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Charles Delin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Fred. Eicholtz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,782 Michael Engelsberger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 George Eyster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 William Ferguson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Val. Fail. Tavern and saw-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,074 David Foal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 John Ferguson, tan-yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Dewald Finstermarker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 John Feghner, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Adam Gise, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Abraham Gise, cordwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 896 John Greer, tavern and merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Henry Gessler, cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Joseph Greffy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 John Gibrath (or Galbraith) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,224 George Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,636 Adam Groshard, saw-mill* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636 Jacob Greenmyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,754 Samuel Gilliland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,505 George Hartzell, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,136 Abner Hutten, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 William Hutten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,128 Christian Hostetter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593 Thomas Homs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514 Joseph Hewit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 George Hewitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,192 Isaiah Harr, silk-maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 Nathan Hendricks, saw-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,556 George Huber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,072 Stephen Hendricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,052 Samuel Harland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625 Jacob Holtzinger, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 George Hukenloober . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757 James Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 George Hartzell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,359 George Hammon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 779 Peterson Hines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Abel John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,360 Joseph John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Aphrabim Johnston, single . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,545 Jacob Koock, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 John Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Peter Keckler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Abram Keckler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Francis Knouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,164 David Knouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 John Kline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 Phillip Kuntz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 John Kosen, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528 Francis Keum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Christian Lehman, grist and saw-mills . . . . . . . . . 1,182 Joseph Loop, cordwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 John Laughead (Vanden Crive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Peter Latshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 George Myers, miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Michael Ming, blacksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,222 Jesse Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Nicholas Mallen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Francis McNitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,652 David McConnechy, single . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620 David McConnechy, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,878 Archibald McGraw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,578 Samuel Mukle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882 Thomas McCrail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Elizabeth McCrail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Widow Lydia McCrail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Thomas McCashland, merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,554 Jacob Mills, wagon-maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 Robert McConnechy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,193 Elizabeth McCleary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200 Martin Minder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656 Henry Montgomery, single . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787 John Mowrer, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584 Samuel McConnechy, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,848 Owen McCrail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656 George McCrail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Robert McClave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Andrew Nievel, or Newell, owner of two saw-mills . . . . 1,114 Felix Orna, joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Jacob Oyler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836 Able Pittendorff, cordwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Adam Plum, blacksmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486 Henry Petter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,376 William Pullock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 John Quickle, wagon-maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 George Jacob Rix, owner of grist, saw and hemp-mills . . 1,634 Daniel Rix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,166 Daniel Rix, Sr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 732 John Rix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 Henry Rife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,100 Baltzer Radisely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,207 William Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 William Roberts, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Henry Stonehower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Henry Slaybaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 786 Paul Sowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 786 Mathias Smyser, owner of grist-mill and saw-mill . . . 1,675 Peter Slathower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,019 Peter Strasbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 George Slaybaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 767 William Slaybaugh, wagon-maker . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,306 John Slosser, tavern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,218 Peter Slosser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Matthias Sahm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Thomas Selluks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566 Henry Snider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506 Henry Schmusser, owner of grist-mill and saw-mill . . . 2,704 Frederick Stancbhower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,290 David Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 John Stewart, merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,097 Peter Slaybaugh, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 The Pine Grove Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,525 David Tutt, blue dyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Joseph Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 John Wierman, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625 Tobias Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 John Wagaman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 John Wright, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684 Samuel Wright, tanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 John Wireman, Jr. saw-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Joel Wright, saw-mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Thomas Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Christian Wirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Benjamin Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572 George Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Peter Wirt, cordwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 John Wampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Fred. Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Fred. Warrant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,414 John Wright, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,587 Daniel Wightner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Peter Wagoner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Peter Welkmuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Abraham Wightner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,045 William Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,005 Adam Waller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,762 William Woodgate, weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Matthias Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747 Benjamin Wright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 927 William Yet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 956 Samuel Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714 Jacob Zigafoose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 *His tax was decreased, owing to his suffering from an attack of palsy. The total valuation was $129,090, and the tax levy 30½ cents per $100. Robert Alexander and Henry Snyder were the collectors. The single men residing in the township in 1799 were taxed $1 each, viz.: Isaac Homes, Abram Diehl, William Deitrick, William Gilbrath, William Scott, miller; Leonard Hartzell; Anthony Wagaman, wagon-maker; John Ebert, hatter; Abram Davis, miller; John Noel; Jacob Rex, joiner; John Krum, weaver; F. Caspar Krum, weaver; Charles Stewart, John Stewart, David Stewart and Frederick Stonehower. David Lewis, the robber, was born at Carlisle in 1790, enlisted in Capt. William N. Irvine’s Company in 1807, deserted, was tried and sentenced to be shot, but his mother won a reprieve. Then going to Vermont he obtained a stock of counterfeit bills, and entered on the “shovers” work in Cumberland and Adams Counties. As stated by William Heller, of Wenksville, he made his appearance at Pine Grove in Cumberland County, about 1813. One Howard, an accomplice, visited the place six weeks later and won the confidence of Andrew Bombaugh, master- miner, for the Furnace Company. The first work of the robbers in this county was to interest some well-known old settlers in “shoving” counterfeit money for them. Their first burglary was committed at David Dull’s saw-mill on Mountain Creek, below the mouth of Tumbling Run, in 1813 or 1814, which was then operated by David Warren. Jacob Cock, the original owner of the Dr. Mumma farm at Bendersville, was a cabinet-maker. About 1813 he moved to East Berlin, where he kept a tavern, and in 1814 became associated with the robbers, Lewis Connelly, Parkhurst and Howard. David Warren, the saw-miller of Mountain Creek, made this discovery some weeks after his first acquaintance with Cook. It appears that Warren called his brothers, Edward and Isaac, and John Balsley to explore the neighborhood of Tumbling Run, in search of the robber’s den; but they failed to find it; six weeks after this, Isaac Warren discovered the cabin near the head of Little Break. A few days later old Justice Fickes, who for years kept the York Sulphur Springs, was hunting in the mountains (he lodged with James Dully near Wenksville), and also discovered the robber’s den. The next day Fickes, Hellar, James Dully, James Dully, Jr., Judge Fickes and John Neely explored the neighborhood, found plenty of evidences of the robber’s rendezvous, but no money. James Green (colored) was hanged April 15, 1853, for the murder of Samuel Mars, in this township, April 1, 1852. The murder of William Wills occurred in Menallen Township, at the close of November, 1870. Martin Carbaugh was charged with the crime, but acquitted. A correspondent to the Star (N. Y.), writing in 1758, states: “On May 21, 1758, one woman and five children were carried off from ‘Yellow Breeches.’ “ He also states: “Richard Beard, who was captivated last month from Marsh Creek, made his escape somewhere near the Alleghany Hills, and was sick near his father’s, at Marsh Creek. The Indians told him that they were going to Philadelphia to arrange with the English for taking scalps of the French.” In August, 1885, two monuments were dedicated in Antrim Township, Franklin County, to the memory of Enoch Brown and his ten pupils, who were murdered by Indians in 1764. George H. McCreary, residing near Bendersville, has a watch, said to have been made in Dublin, Ireland, in 1394, and brought to America in 1748, by John Martin. This has been ever since in the possession of the Martin and McCreary families. In February, 1859, a boy, from the neighborhood of Pine Grove, was lost in the mountains. The people searched in vain. Some days after he was found dead, near John Beamer’s on the old Shippensburg road. A little dog, which accompanied him, stood sentinel over the body. The sale of Jacob Kock’s land, in Menallen Township, together with saw-mill, buildings and orchard, was advertised in 1805. BENDERSVILLE. The actual settlement of the tract on which Bendersville (formerly called Wilsonville) stands dates back to 1811, when it was patented to John Schlosser, by the State. Three years later the original occupier sold his patent to William Sadler, and in 1819 he sold to Henry Bender; and Henry, Conrad, Michael and John Bender founded the village November 10, 1832. In this year, also, Jesse M. Hutton, the mail carrier, delivered letters here; and about this time George Wilson, Sr., was appointed postmaster. About 1847 he was succeeded by A. T. Wright. In 1832 the postoffice was called Wilsonville, and the sale of stamps for the year ending in March, 1834, amounted to $22.61. John Burkholder is now postmaster. John Schlosser kept a cabin tavern (the first building there) prior to 1799, and not until 1834 was there anything more pretentious erected, when Peter Studebaker erected one. In 1836 C. Myers established a regular hotel, with office, stables, etc. This was six years after the establishment of the Gettysburg & Newville Road, when travel warranted such an enterprise. The completion of the Gettysburg & Hanover Railroad, which passes just east of the village, has, like the old highway of 1829-30, given an impulse to enterprise; and the little mountain village gives promise of attaining the position which its rich agricultural surroundings warrant. CHURCHES. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bendersville was established October 29, 1835, with the following members: J. A. Jacobs. H. Thomas, S. Harris, William Haim, G. Dellinger, F. Miller, G. Schaffer, A. Ettinger, M. E. Penshalter, Jacob Bender, J. Thomas, G. Thomas, J. Zinn, A. Bender, Isaac Cloeffaltes. The ministers who have served this church from 1835 to 1886 are named as follows: John Lieb, Levi Hummelshine, J. M. Young, J. N. Linger, E. B. Wilson, S. W. Seibert, S. Aurand, J. Y. Reede, A. Longsdorf, J. M. Price, J. A. Irvine, J. M. Longsdorf, J. F. Yeager, H. S. Bower, Rev. B. F. Kelles, H. A. Stoke, P. F. Jarrett, F. S. Vought, H. T. Searl, J. L. Miller. Prior to 1857 services were held in the Union log house, but on May 31, that year, their present church was completed at a cost of about $3,000. The number of members is 410. The church of this denomination at Idaville was built in 1850, during the pastorate of Rev. Daniel Kreamer, at a cost of $1,600, and that at Beamer’s in 1866, at a cost of $1,100. The Idaville Society worshiped in a schoolhouse for some years before their church was erected. Originally all this circuit belonged to the Gettysburg charge. The German Reformed and Lutheran Union Church of Bendersville dates its building back to May 12, 1845, and its dedication to October 19, 1845, during the pastorates of Mr. Ulrich, Lutheran, and Mr. Hoffmeier, Reformed. Prior to 1845 worship meetings were held in the old Methodist Episcopal and Evangelical Union Church. The Lutheran Society of Bendersville was organized December 27, 1840, with eleven members out of the society at Wenksville, by Rev. C. Weyl, with Peter Rice and David Meals, elders. The membership is 160. The church was set off as a circuit in 1880, as related in the history of the church at Wenksville. The Reformed Society was organized February 11, 1844, by Rev. John G. Fritchey, with John Appleman, Peter Rice, John Tauser, Henry Cunn, Thomas Snodgrass and eight others, members. This society is visited once a month by Rev. Mr. Sangree, of Arendtsville, but claims only the name of an organization. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Bendersville dates back to the thirties, when services were held in the “Yellow House” on the Hunterstown road, by Mr. Lenhart, until 1839-40, when the Union Cabin Church was opened. The Centenary Methodist Church of Bendersville was completed and dedicated September 8, 1867. The building committee comprised John Burkholder, Samuel Bender, S. Meals, A. J. Bender and M. A. Eldin. It is said that Bendersville was once established as a circuit; but it has been generally an appointment of York Springs. The Mount Tabor Church of the United Brethren, three miles north of Bendersville, was dedicated January 12, 1862. The Methodist Episcopal Church at Pine Grove Furnace, was completed and dedicated October 23, 1870. SOCIETIES. Menallen Agricultural Society was organized in February, 1860, with John Burkholder, president, and F. W. Cook, secretary. Patrons of Husbandry.-This grange was organized at Bendersville February 3, 1874, with John Wickersham, M; G. W. Wilson, O.; Amos Griest, L.; Hiram Griest, S.; Adam Burkholder, secretary; Mrs. William Walhay, Ceres, and others. The Menallen Agricultural Club was organized March 15, 1879, with the following members: Cyrus S. Griest, Hiram Griest, Charles J. Tyson, Amos W. Griest, Israel Garretson, Andrew J. Koser, Henry Koser, Josiah Griest, A. I. Weidner and Samuel H. Harris. Israel Garrettson was first president, and A. W. Griest, first secretary. Menallen Building Association was organized at Bendersville in September, 1868, with Jonas Rouanzahn, president. Montana Lodge, No. 653, I. O. O. F., organized some years ago, is the only secret society at Bendersville. FLORA DALE. This is a very old settlement with a new name, an adaptation of Fountain Dale, in Hamiltonban Township, and equally appropriate. A reference to the original assessment of Menallen Township points out the names of the old settlers in this neighborhood. Here, in later years, the Smith family, now residents of Florida, settles, and many, whose names have been identified with the progress of the county, found a home in the wilderness here during the last century, and with their children converted the district into a veritable flora dale. In 1861 a postoffice was established, with Elijah Wright, postmaster. In 1878 his widow succeeded in charge. Menallen Meeting-house of the Society of Friends, dates its foundation here to 1838, when the old church at Friend’s Grove, in the rear of the present Dunkard church of Butler Township, was abandoned. The old double-log Friends’ Meeting- house of 1838, was removed in 1884, to give place to the present brick house. The log house stood just in front of the present buildings just north of their new cemetery opened in 1853. The society’s old cemetery, in Butler Township at Friends’ Grove, contains a number of headstones still. WENKSVILLE. This ultramontane village, west of Bendersville, approached through the picturesque valley of Upper Opossum Creek from the latter place, or the equally picturesque mountain road from Arendtsville, or the weird, romantic road from Buchanan Valley, is only great in its approaches. The country round Wenksville is called Broad Valley. Here, in May, 1879, the only manufacturing industry, the Schlosser Steam Saw-mill, was destroyed by fire. The mail route between York Springs and Wenksville, via Idaville, was established in march, 1868. Wenks postoffice was established in May, 1868, with William S. Cart, postmaster. The Lutheran and Methodist Union Church at Wenksville was dedicated December 25, 1872, by Revs. Clark and Dixon, Methodist Episcopal ministers, and M. Snyder and J. F. Probst, Lutheran ministers. The building cost $1.600. The Lutheran Society of Wenksville was organized March 5, 1836, at Pisel’s schoolhouse (afterward known as Wenks’ School, near the site of the present brick Union building), with thirty-one members. Rev. Daniel Gottwalt, David Melas, John Weigle, George Black and Jacob B. Meals may be named among its founders. In 1840 the new Lutheran society of Bendersville drew off the majority of the members, and this society existed in a semi-disorganized condition until 1878, when Rev. M. Snyder reorganized it. In 1880 it was made an appointment of Bendersville, and so continues. From 1841 to 1878 preachers from the theological seminary and from the neighboring churches visited the locality, until Bendersville Circuit was formed in 1880, with Rev. W. L. Heisler in charge. Rev. C. W. McSherry is the present preacher. The Methodist Society of Wenksville is contemporary with the Lutheran, although no regular organization existed until 1872, when this denomination initiated the work of church building here.