AREA HISTORY:  Heidelberg Township, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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THE TOWNSHIP OF HEIDELBERG – Page 693

IN the Grand-Duchy of Baden, not far from Manheim, is the historic old city of 
Heidelberg, famous for its great university, founded in 1836 – the second oldest 
institution in Germany.  The derivation of the word, is “Heidel” huckleberry, or 
whortleberry, and “berg,” mountain; the origin of which was owing to the fact 
that the city is surrounded by picturesque wooded hills, on which grew 
huckleberry bushes in great abundance.  This German city was rendered historic on 
account of the cruelties and atrocities perpetrated upon its citizens in the 
seventeenth century.  The ferocious Tilly bombarded it for one month, took it by 
storm and gave it up to three days of pillage, in 1622.  

The French general, Melac, by order of Louis XIV, in 1688, took the town and 
cruelly burnt it; in 1693 another French force repeated and exceeded all former 
atrocities.  It is now a prosperous city.

Many of the inhabitants of Heidelberg and vicinity, on account of these cruel 
wars, immigrated to Pennsylvania soon after, and a township by that name is found 
in each of the following counties:  York, Berks, Lehigh and Lebanon.

Heidelberg Township in this county was erected in 1750.  It then contained an 
area of 9,030 acres and was identical with “Digges’ Choice” which name, since 
that date, is known only to history.  The names of many of the early settlers of 
this township, as it then was, will be found in the history of Hanover.  The 
original shape of Heidelberg was very irregular.  It extended in a northwesternly 
and southeasternly direction, from a point a short distance east of Hanover, west 
to McSherrystown, Adams County.  It was long and narrow, and what is now the 
borough of Hanover was included within its territory.  The town was bordered on 
the north and south by Manheim until the northern part of that township was 
annexed to Heidelberg in 1816, one year after Hanover was incorporated.

In 1783 Heidelberg has 191 houses, 116 town lots, 29 slaves and a population of 
1,204.

In 1880 this township entirely lost its identity.  Out of part of its original 
territory and a part of the annexation of 1816 the new township of Penn was 
formed.

Thus the original of Heidelberg now forms a part of Conewago Township Adams 
County, part of Penn Township, and the borough of Hanover.  The civil authorities 
of York County have not treated it so cruelly, though with little more respect 
than the French army did the city after which it was named.  The eastern section, 
caused by the division of 1880, retained the name Heidelberg, but it contains no 
part of its original territory, as it is now formed.  Paradise and Jackson bound 
it on the north, North Codorus on the east, the Manheims on the south, and Penn 
on the west.  It is drained by the west branch of the Codorus Creek and its 
tributary the Oil Creek.  Its present territory, until 1816, was embraced in 
Manheim, and was first settled, mostly by the Mennonites and German Baptists 
(Dunkers), as early as 1738.

Heidelberg is crossed by the Hanover & Baltimore and Hanover & York Railroads.  
Smith’s Station and Porter’s Sideling, stopping places along the Hanover & 
Baltimore Railroad, are now interesting hamlets, and each has a postoffice.  The 
latter place was named after ex-Gov. Porter, who shipped large quantities of iron 
ore from this station soon after the road was built, from banks that he leased in 
this township.    

The Reformed Church at Smith’s Station, was built several years ago.  The 
congregation was ministered to by Revs. Jacob Sechler and H. Hilbish.  Rev. J. H. 
Hartman, of Hanover, is the present pastor.  Membership, 50.

Moulstown is a collection of a dozen or more houses, in the northern part of the 
township.  A Union Meeting House was built here during the centennial year.  The 
building committee were Jacob Moul, Charles Eichelberger and D. W. Gemmill.  
Jacobs’ Mills, Iron Ridge and Menges’ Mills are stations on the Shortline 
Railroad, at each of which places there is a postoffice and a store.  They are 
important points for the shipment of iron ore.  Garber’s Mennonite Church, near 
Menges’ Mills, was built more than half a century ago.  Near here there was an 
early settlement of Mennonites.