AREA HISTORY: History of Adams County, Chapter XXVIII, 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 222-227 CHAPTER XXVIII. BUTLER TOWNSHIP. This township was organized August 20, 1849, from parts of the original townships of Menallen and Franklin. Conowago Creek enters at its northwestern corner, forms its southern bend and flows thence in a tortuous course east through the center of the south half of the township. Opossum Creek enters the township at a point northwest of Center Mills, and thence south by east to its confluence with Conowago Creek, opposite the Dull homestead. Numerous tributaries of these creeks flow at random, leaving very few acres without a running brook. Pine Hill, north of the “Colored Church,” is the only prominent high land in the township. There are, however, several hills, which lend to the township a heavy rolling appearance. The elevation at Biglerville is 643 feet, and at Centre Mills 713 feet. The farmers claim for this division of the county a high reputation for the lands and productive qualities of the soil. This claim appears well founded, and statistics support it. The geological features consist of an outcrop of green S, S, enclosing fragments of calcite, feldspar and similar substances, and showing a lenticular concretion. This occurs a half mile north of Centre Mills. Many of the rocks credited to adjoining townshipa are also found here. A magnetic iron ore bed was worked on the John C. Markley farm, near Centre Mills, in August, 1868. The population in 1850 was 1,245, and 24 colored; in 1860, 1,272, including 28 colored; in 1870, 1,313, including 20 colored, and in 1880, 1,405. The number of tax-payers (1886) is 420; total value of real estate, $429,205; number of horses, etc., 390; number of cows, etc., 422; value of moneys at interest, $34,463; value of trades and professions, $8,941; number of carriages, 195; gold watches, 4; acres of timber land, 869. The old bridges of the township were erected in the following order of time: Prior to 1839 the several creeks were forded, and even to-day near Bender’s Church the traveler has to risk a crossing of some few swift running streams. In 1839 Camp erected a wooden bridge over the Great Conowago, on the road from Gettysburg to Newville, for $1,390. In 1857 Jonas Rouanzahn erected a wooden bridge across the Conowago on the Arendtsville and Bell’s Mill road, for $1,120. In 1860 J. M. Pittenturf built a covered bridge over Opossum Creek, on the Arendtsville and East Berlin road, for $1,100. In 1867 Henry Chritzman erected a covered wooden bridge over Opossum Creek at Bricker’s mill for $1,798. In 1869 Samuel Stouffer erected a wooden bridge over the Conowago at Weirman’s mill, on the Arendtsville and Biglerville road, for $1,030. CEMETERIES. Among the old places of interment within the county, that known as Bender’s Grave yard dates its beginning back in the last century. The first burial in Bender’s Cemetery was that of a man who, in crossing a fence, fell on a scythe which he was carrying to John Galbrath’s. The second was that of a man who fell from a scaffold and broke his neck while building the church in 1781. The names of the aged, old residents of Butler Township who rest here, as far as head- stones give names and dates of death, are as follows: Casper Saurier . . . . . . . . . . 1790 Henry Lower . . . . . . . 1867 Henrich Schmeiser . . . . . . . . 1795 Solomon Peters. . . . . . 1880 Nicholas Dietrich . . . . . . . . 1844 Jacob Rex . . . . . . . . 1863 John Gease . . . . . . . . . . . . 1881 Jacob Eyster . . . . . . 1839 Adam Geagy . . . . . . . . . . . . 1861 Maria Magdina Schlebach . 1785 Maria Geagy . . . . . . . . . . . 1861 Geo. Huber. . . . . . . . 1829 Jacob Weidner . . . . . . . . . . 1871 Catherine Bender . . . . 1846 Lazamer Weidner . . . . . . . . . 1851 W. Burkhart . . . . . . . 1811 William Cashman . . . . . . . . . 1860 Wm. Meals . . . . . . . . 1833 Catherine Beitlerman . . . . . . . 1866 Eliza Raenharg . . . . . 1830 Eliza Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . 1804 Geo. Hartzell . . . . . . 1824 Michael Minich . . . . . . . . . . 1847 Conrad Plank . . . . . . 1854 Catherine Minich . . . . . . . . . 1843 Jacob Meals . . . . . . . 1852 Philip Long . . . . . . . . . . . 1853 Simon Becker . . . . . . 1856 John Henry Bender . . . . . . . . 1843 Jacob Pensyl . . . . . . 1810 Catherine Bender . . . . . . . . . 1844 Wm. Garder . . . . . . . 1856 Elizabeth Rise . . . . . . . . . 1826 Ester, his wife . . . . . 1846 Elizabeth Mowrar . . . . . . . . . 1833 Geo. Geise . . . . . . . 1833 John Maurey . . . . . . . . . . . 1834 John Schlebach . . . . . 1795 John Roher . . . . . . . . . . . . 1807 Jonas Blanch . . . . . . 1799 Daniel Rex . . . . . . . . . . . . 1835 Abram Guise . . . . . . . 1849 Michael Dietrich . . . . . . . . . 1834 Daniel Slaybaugh . . . . 1881 Peter Slaybaugh . . . . . . . . . 1831 Geo. Fidler . . . . . . . 1860 H. B. Schroeder . . . . . . . . . 1856 John Deitrich . . . . . . 1813 Robert Huston . . . . . . . . . . 1857 Geo. Gilbert . . . . . . 1813 Jacob Wirth . . . . . . . . . . . 1805 Henry Peter . . . . . . . 1846 Margaret Wirlhn . . . . . . . . . 1805 Daniel Preiforhim . . . . 1825 Geo. Eyster . . . . . . . . . . . 1836 John Maurer . . . . . . . 1821 Henry Koser . . . . . . . . . . . 1858 Jacob Rex . . . . . . . . 1800 John Carson . . . . . . . . . . . 1848 Eliza Rex . . . . . . . . 1812 John Dull . . . . . . . . . . . . 1854 Elizabeth Guider . . . . 1813 Capt. John Garder . . . . . . . . 1860 Ulrich Peters . . . . . . 1842 Susanna Dutterow . . . . . . . . . 1813 Barbara Slaybaugh . . . . 1842 Magdalena Menges . . . . . . . . . 1862 John Jacob Schriver . . . 1852 Joseph Baughman . . . . . . . . . 1826 Conrad Schriver . . . . . 1855 Adam Maurer . . . . . . . . . . . 1792 Geo. Huber . . . . . . . 1785 Jacob Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . 1850 Anna Maria Yells . . . . 1843 Jesse Houck . . . . . . . . . . . 1880 John W. Dull . . . . . . 1873 Geo. J. Hartzell . . . . . . . . . 1853 H. Clisabeth . . . . . . 1810 Margaret Rich . . . . . . . . . . 1833 John Quickel . . . . . . 1839 John Meals . . . . . . . . . . . . 1852 Jacob Thomas . . . . . . 1822 Adam Garder . . . . . . . . . . . 1864 John Dottery . . . . . . 1836 Wm. Wert . . . . . . . . . . . . 1882 John Jacob Eiholtz . . . 1839 Henry Witmor . . . . . . . . . . 1875 Joseph Dull . . . . . . . 1852 Maria E. wife of John Dottarer . . 1862 Jacob Boyer . . . . . . . 1848 Henry Eighinger . . . . . . . . . 1858 Elizabeth Meals . . . . . 1826 John McDonnell . . . . . . . . . 1844 Jacob Lutshaw . . . . . 1833 A number of head-stones, dated 1788, forward, in memory of the Oysterin family, are still preserved. The new cemetery at Biglerville, on the heights west of the Bendersville road, was established in 1884, and now contains about twenty graves marked by monuments. The Old Quaker Cemetery, near Centre Mills, in rear of the Dunkard Church and cemetery, on the hill above the Deardorff homestead, dates back to 1825, when Mary Griest was buried there. The grounds have grown wild during the last twenty-five years, but among the tall grasses and underbrush, head-stones giving the following names and dates may be found: Alice McCreary, 1855; David McCreary, 1828; Samuel Harlan, 1859; Sarah Harlan, 1873; Levi Hutton, 1844; Martha Hutton, 1827; Samuel B. Wright, 1859; Thomas McCreary, 1865; John W. Cook, 1853; William W. Cook, 1864; Nathan Wright, 1853; Levi Greist, 1864; Thomas Wright, 1845; Samuel Wright, 1846; Eve Wright, 1842; Mary B. Fisher, 1845. The Dunkard Cemetery is little older than the old weather-boarded meeting-house within its enclosure. Its location is just in front of the Friends’ burial place, and in it rest the remains of many old settlers, of whom the marble give the following record of date of death: Peter Studabecker, 1853; Jacob Bosserman, 1873; Jacob Lentz, 1883; Peter Hummer, 1855; Elenora Trimmer, 1853; Mary Yeatts, 1873; Simon Young, 1879; Samuel Deardorff, 1865; John Musser, 1861. MIDDLETOWN OR BIGLERVILLE. This village dates back to 1817, when it was surveyed and platted by Samuel White, and lots (drawn by ticket) sold November 17 of that year. It was a paper village until April, 1843, when Henry Hartzell, who purchased White’s interest in 1839, erected a building at the intersection of the Gettysburg and Newville, and the Chambersburg and Berlin roads. Prior to April 1, 1884, when the first regular train was run over the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad, the village retained its primitive characteristics, but once the whistle of the locomotive was heard a new era introduced itself; new buildings sprang into existence, and the good work then begun has been continued, until Biglerville of to-day presents a good brick business block, several semi-detached business buildings, a good hotel, brick church buildings and a few modern residences, with about thirty smaller homes. On the north, west and east the location is sheltered by hills, leaving the business center lying, as it were, in a ditch - the proper designation for the Chambersburg & Berlin Road at this particular place. The railroad depot is near the business center. S. R. Bream was appointed postmaster in August, 1885, vice J. A. H. Rether. Rether’s brick-yard, on the Gettysburg road, and the cigar factories are the only manufacturing industries. CHURCHES AND SOCIETY. The United Brethren Association was organized January 19, 1859, by Rev. J. C. Weidler. In 1872 work on their church building began, and the house was dedicated January 11, 1874, by Bishop Edwards, assisted by Rev. J. C. Weidler. This church forms a part of the Bendersville mission, and is known as “Centenary Church.” Lutheran Church-This society was organized at Biglerville March 27, 1881, with W. L. Heisler as pastor; number of members, twenty-one. The cornerstone of the present substantial brick structure was laid August 21, 1881, and the church dedicated May 7, 1882, Rev. Dr. Wolf preaching the sermon. The building is provided with a steeple and good bell, vestibule, etc., and has a seating capacity for about 350. Cost, $3,500. George W. McSherry, pastor. The Dunkard Church, the “Colored Church,” northeast and northwest of the village respectively, and the Friends’ Meeting-house, north of Flora Dale, as well as Bender’s Reformed Church and Lutheran Union Church, may be all classed as neighboring churches. Camp No. 162 of P. O. S. of A. was instituted at Biglerville February 29, 1872, with J. C. Markley, P.P.; W. H. Dietrich, P., and S. J. Smith, R.S. BEECHERSVILLE. The hamlet is situated on the west line of the township, about one mile southeast of Arendtsville, and three miles west by south of Biglerville. The settlement was founded, in 1825, by David Beecher, on lands warranted, in 1788, by Jacob Gilbert. This year he build a tannery, and in 1832 erected the woolen-mills on a site occupied for forty years before by the old carding and fulling-mill. The Conowago Woolen Factory, owned by David Beecher and Robert Morrison, was an important industry as early as 1828. He also built a paper- mill in 1837, one-quarter mile down the creek. R. G. McCreary converted this into a box board factory, the Conowago Paper Company enlarged it, and manufactured straw printing paper until its destruction by fire in 1875. In 1873 newspaper paper was manufactured by Ingram & Cook, of Beechersville, who leased the R. G. McCreary mills. The Conowago Paper Company was organized in May, 1873, with E. W. Stahle, president; R. G. McCreary, secretary; W. A. Duncan, treasurer; O. F. Ingram, superintendent, and Col. Cook, machinist, for the manufacture of straw printing paper. Down the creek from Beechersville are the Roth Mills, established about fifty- eight years ago, on the David McConaughy lands of 1733. About this time Mr. McConaughy built the first grist-mill on this tract. In 1807 John Mumma erected the present grist-mill. The McConaughy tract was patented to Moses Harland, by the Penns, in 1745. Harland was led there by Indians, who spoke highly of the soil and water-power. It is strange that an industry established by David McConaughy 153 years ago should find a home here still - stranger is it that a grandson or great-grandson of this useful pioneer should be interested in a grist-mill some six miles south, at Gettysburg, to- day. CENTRE MILLS AND MENALLEN POSTOFFICE. The two tracts, to which the above names are given, are very old settlements. A reference to the original assessment rolls of Menallen and Franklin Townships, from which Butler Township was detached in 1849, points out a number of names identified with this division of the township for over 100 years. Over half a century ago the old postoffice of Menallen was the ninth, in point of business, within the county, the receipts for postal stamps being $28.54. It was the first point of gossip, for it is related that men would come in from the neighboring country every evening, and were there not news to satisfy them “they would make news.” In August, 1885, J. G. Weaver was appointed postmaster of Menallen or Centre Mills, succeeding J. H. Bushey. Hance Hamilton died here in 1772, and was interred in Black’s Cemetery, whence his remains were removed to Evergreen Cemetery on the suggestion of H. J. Stahle, of the Compiler. This old settler, who took such a leading part in the early history of York and Adams Counties, is said to have been a brother of Col. John Hamilton (who built the first stone house in Mountpleasant), a native of Ireland, and an uncompromising enemy of the loyalist factions from 1758 forward. TABLE ROCK. This is the name given to a settlement below Bender’s Church, when a postoffice was established there some years ago. It is also known as the “Lower Settlement,” on account of the lower grist and saw-mills, lower store and lower blacksmith shop. Hiram L. Harris was the postmaster. Bender’s Church, a union of Lutheran and Reformed societies, dates back to April 7, 1781, when both congregations were organized. In 1811 a building was erected by Conrad Lower on the site of the first house of worship. Of the Reformed society the following named have been pastors: Lebrecht Hinch, 1781; B. F. Schneck, Jacob Bair, S. S. Gutelius, J. G. Fritchey, John Sice, C. H. Hoffmeier, H. Aurand, F. Netcher, J. Zeigler, D. W. Wolf, A. J. Heller and M. H. Sangree. The pastors of the Lutheran society have been Rev. Melsheimer, 1781; John Herbst, C. H. Weyl, John Ulrich, J. K. Miller, Rev. Martin, M. Snyder, D. M. Blackwelder, D. Long, A. J. Heirler and G. W. McSherry. The logs of the original church are now in Samuel Deardorff’s house, a mile distant from the present church. The Friends’ Grove Quaker Meeting-House, abandoned in 1838, is said to have had its origin in 1743, the same year in which the Warrington monthly meeting was separated from the Sadsburg (Chester County) meeting. Joseph Elger, Isaac Everett and Abel Thomas were the first preachers. The latter from 1801 to 1817, in which year he died. TEXAS. This is a small settlement on the Gettysburg and Bendersville road, south of Biglerville. The altitude of the place - all that is remarkable about it - is 603 feet. MISCELLANEOUS. The Gillilands settled on lands now owned by William Bream, where a fort was built about 1754. Isaac, the Indian, lived with his sister in a hut on Opossum Creek, below the old Gilliland Mill, better known as “Fisher’s Mill.” The Farmers’ Association of Butler and Menallen Townships was organized in 1879, and the first meeting was held at A. W. Griest’s house. The Butler Township Lyceum was organized in November, 1866. The first settlers of Butler mustered in the cause of the Revolution in 1775, and among the 300 men from this county who marched from Littlestown, in Wayne’s command, to abolish the first vestige of British oppression at Yorktown, Va., were some of the yeomanry of Butler. Clarance M. Camp, James H. Walter and William Reary, residents of Middletown, were the first troops from Butler Township to respond to the call of April, 1861. They were mustered in with Company E, Second Regiment Pennsylvania volunteer Infantry. The Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad runs through the township in a somewhat tortuous course from north to south. The postoffices in Butler Township are Bigler, Menallen, Guernsey, Goldensville and Table Rock.