Area History: Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities, Dauphin County

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linnea Miller
and Bob Maley.



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From: Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities
Comm of PA, Dept Internal Affairs, 1965.  [Errata supplied by
Bob Maley]

Dauphin County - 4th Class
Formed on 4 March 1785 from part of Lancaster County and named in honor of
Louis, the Dauphin of France.

Third Class City:
Harrisburg; incorporated 20 April 1860; First settled about 1719. Laid out
as a town named Louisbourgh in 1785 when Dauphin Co. was formed from
Lancaster Co. (Although the founder always referred to it as Harrisburg in
all deeds he conferred!) Incorporated as a borough 13 April 1791 named
Harrisburg. In 1810 the Commonwealth Assembly named Harrisburg as the seat
of state government. (4)

Boroughs:
Berrysburg; incorporated from Mifflin Twp. 14 Dec. 1869; Laid out 1819.
Dauphin; incorporated from Paxton Twp. 31 Mar. 1845; Laid out 1825.
Elizabethville; incorporated from Washington Twp. 1893; Laid out 1817.
Gratz; incorporated from Mifflin Twp. 3 Apr. 1852; Laid out 1805.
Halifax; incorporated from Halifax Twp. 29 May 1875; Laid out 18 July 1784.
Highspire; incorporated from Swatara Twp. Feb. 1867 & 23 Dec. 1903; Laid
out 1814; Swatara Twp. borough charter annulled in 1868. Reincorporated as
borough in 1904.
Hummelstown; incorporated from Derry Twp. 26 Aug. 1874; Laid out 1762.
Lykens; incorporated from Wiconisco Twp. 3 Apr. 1872 (1) or 28 Aug. 1871
(2); Laid out 1848.
Middletown; incorporated from Lower Swatara Twp. 19 Feb. 1828; Laid out 1755.
Millersburg; incorporated from Upper Paxton Twp. 8 Apr. 1850; Laid out July
1807.
Paxtang; incorporated from Swatara Twp. 3 July 1914.
Penbrook; incorporated from Susquehanna Twp. 10 July 1894.
Royalton; incorporated from Londonderry Twp. 27 Sept. 1892.
Steelton; incorporated from Swatara Twp. 26 Jan. 1880 (1) or Oct. 1880 (2);
Laid out Apr. 1866.
Uniontown; incorporated from Mifflin Twp. 20 Apr. 1864.
Williamstown; incorporated 22 June 1877; Laid out 1869.

First Class Townships:
Lower Swatara; incorporated from Swatara Twp. 7 Nov. 1961 as first class twp.
Susquehanna; incorporated from Paxton Twp. 1 May 1815; became first class
twp. 6 Nov. 1951.
Swatara; incorporated from Lower Paxton Twp. 1799; became first class twp. 1911.

Second Class Townships:
Conewago; incorporated from Derry & Londonderry Twps. 2 Apr. 1850; settled 1755.
Derry; incorporated as a twp. when part of Lancaster County 9 June 1729
(1,2) or 1 Aug. 1729 (3); settled about 1717.
East Hanover; incorporated from Hanover Twp. 14 mar. 1842; settled about 1717.
Halifax; incorporated from Upper Paxton & Middle Paxton Twps. Mar. 1804.
Jackson; incorporated from Halifax Twp. 23 Aug. 1828 (1,2) or Nov. 1828 (3).
Londonderry; incorporated as a twp. while part of Lancaster County Feb.
1768 (1,2) or Feb. 1767 (3).
Lower Paxton; incorporated from Paxton Twp. 1729 (1,2) or 1767 (3); settled
about 1717.
Lower Swatara; incorporated from Swatara Twp. 18 Mar. 1840.
Lykens; incorporated from Upper Paxton Twp. 3 Sept. 1810; settled about 1732.
Middle Paxton; incorporated from Paxton Twp. Aug. 1787; settled 1750.
Mifflin; incorporated from Upper Paxton & Lykens Twps. 12 Mar. 1819.
Reed; incorporated from Middle Paxton Twp. 6 Apr. 1849.
Rush; incorporated from Middle Paxton Twp. 14 mar. 1820.
South Hanover; incorporated from Hanover Twp. 14 Mar. 1842.
Upper Paxton; incorporated from Paxton Twp. Aug. 1767.
Washington; incorporated from Mifflin Twp. 23 Jan. 1846 (1,2) or 3 Sept.
1845 (3).
Wayne; incorporated from Jackson Twp. May 1878.
West Hanover; incorporated from Hanover Twp. 14 May 1842.
Wiconisco; incorporated from Lykens Twp. 2 July 1839.
Williams; incorporated from Wiconisco Twp. 7 Feb. 1869.

Sources listed:
1. "Pennsylvania, Political, Governmental, Military and Civil: Political
and Civil History Volume" by Frederick A. Godcharles, 1933.
2. "History of the Counties of Dauphin & Lebanon in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania" by William Henry Egle, 1883.
3. "History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania" by Luther Reily Kelker, 1907.
4. Harrisburg Industrializes, Gerald G. Eggert, The Pennsylvania State
University Press, 1993