AREA HISTORY:  History of Adams County, Chapter XXXII, Adams County, PA

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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 261-262

CHAPTER XXXII.

FREEDOM TOWNSHIP.

MARSH CREEK forms the entire eastern line of Freedom Township, with Plum Run in 
the north as its principal native tributary.  Middle Creek enters the township 
north of the White farm and flows southeast, entering Maryland at the old Rhodes 
farm.  There are several rivulets feeding the main streams, all of which are 
native to the county.  Harper’s Hill in the southeastern part is the only 
prominent high land; but, throughout, the land is heavily rolling and may be 
called hilly.

In 1842 Robert Black erected a covered wooden bridge on the Emmittsburg road 
over Middle Creek for $800, which gave place to a new one twenty years ago.  In 
1854 George Chritzman built a covered bridge over Marsh Creek on the Emmittsburg 
road for $1,975.  In 1865 John Taylor & Bro. Erected a covered wooden bridge 
across Middle Creek, built by the Keystone Bridge Company in 1885-86, cost $549.

The population in 1840 was 465; in 1850, 473, including 3 colored; in 1860, 472, 
including 4 colored; in 1870, 449, including 5 colored, and in 1880, 544.  The 
number of tax-payers (1886) is 154; value of real estate, $200,318; number of 
horses, etc., 201; of cows, 209; value of moneys at interest, $27,210; value of 
trades and professions, $3,565; number of pleasure carriages, 100; of gold 
watches, 5; acres of timber land, 1,001.

The township was set off from Liberty in 1838.  As early as 1740 it was included 
in “the Manor of Maske,” and the original settlers shared in all the troubles 
and uncertainties, regarding titles to their land peculiar to those times.  
Among the first land improvers on this part of the “Manor” were many of the men 
whose names will be forever identified with the settlement of the western part 
of Adams County.  Samuel Gettys owned land on Middle Creek, and it is supposed 
that the following named settled here on the dates given:  Quintin McAdams, 
Robert McNeil, Robert Anan, later of Emmittsburg, in May, 1741; Robert Long, in 
September, 1739; Hugh Woods, in March, 1741; Samuel Gibson, Duncan Evans and 
Robert Gibson, in October, 1736; Thomas Martin, in May, 1741; Robert Brumfield, 
in September, 1739; Thomas Tedford, in May, 1740.

James Logan, secretary of the Proprietaries, in one of his reports complains of 
the new ideas and independence of the Irish settlers:  “I must own,” says he, 
“from by own experience in the land office, that the settlement of five families 
from Ireland gives me more trouble than fifty of any other people.”  Watson, 
referring to Logan, says:  “All this seems like hard measure dealt upon those 
specimens of ‘the land of generous natures,’ but we may be excused for letting 
him speak out, who was himself from the ‘Emerald Isle,’ where he had of course 
seen a better race.”

Richard Peters, who succeeded James Logan as secretary, visited Marsh Creek in 
1743 to evict the squatters and survey the “Manor of Maske.”  On this occasion 
seventy settlers broke the surveyor’s chain and routed the secretary, the 
sheriff, a justice of the peace, and others.

The “Manor of Maske,” including all Cumberland Township and the greater part of 
Freedom, was established in 1740, but squatters were here some years prior to 
that years.  In 1765 a list of the resident squatters was made, the greater 
number of whom resided in the adjoining townships.  Carrol’s Tracts, or the 
Upper and Lower Tracts, were granted to Charles Carrol, Sr., who was agent for 
Lord Baltimore.  There is a “Mason & Dixon” milestone in the barn-yard of 
Matthias Martin, near the Gettysburg road, one mile and a half from Emmittsburg.  
There is also one on Frank Caldwell’s farm, near the west end of the old plank 
road, and another on the Friends’ Creek Hills, two miles from Emmittsburgh.

The “Hill,” or Marsh Creek Associated Presbyterian Church, was first built of 
logs between 1763 and 1768.  The present stone church was commenced in 1792 and 
finished in the winter of 1793-94.  This church has never been modernized.  Its 
brick aisles, high back seats, pulpit in the center of the back part of the 
church, with the marks of thirteen stripes above, representing the original 
States, the original stripes having been carried off in 1863 as relics, all 
still extant; the roof alone is modern, being put on twenty-four years ago.  
Almost all the settlers on Marsh Creek in 1797 subscribed toward the support of 
this church twelve years after its consolidation with the Rock Creek Church.

The early military history of the township, like that of other divisions of the 
country, is related in the general history.  Hiram S. McNair was the only one of 
the citizens of Freedom who responded to the first call for troops in April, 
1861, who was accepted.  He was mustered into Company E, Second Regiment, 
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.