AREA HISTORY:  Organization of Lower Chanceford, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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ORGANIZATION OF LOWER CHANCEFORD – Page 739

The township of Lower Chanceford was erected in 1805.  A petition signed by a large number of 
citizens of Chanceford, set forth

That your Petitioners have, for a long time, labored under many disadvantages arising from the 
great length and contracted breadth of our township many of our citizens never attended our 
township meetings.  The supervisors can not examine into the state of the roads.  Our 
collectors also fail in collecting the several taxes from transient persons who slip off and 
leave them as soon as they hear of the collectors being in the neighborhood.  These, with other 
reasons, have induced your Petitioners that a division of Chanceford Township be made.

The court, Hon. John Joseph Henry, presiding, appointed John Sample, Patrick Purdy and James 
Gordon, commissioners, to view and make the division.

The surveyor, Jesse Cornelius, wanted the upper section called “Sharron” and the lower part 
retain the name Chanceford.  The viewers wanted the upper division named “Centre.”  The same 
difference of opinion prevailed among the citizens, whereupon the court decided on the names 
which these districts now bear.  According to the draft when the division was made, Lower 
Chanceford contains fifty-two and one-half square miles or 33,600 acres.  The southwest end of 
the division line began at a chestnut tree along Muddy Creek on the land of James Gibson, and 
from thence extended in a direct line northeast seven and four-fifth miles to a point thirty 
rods above Burkholder’s Ferry.

The eastern part of the township, as at present formed, is drained by Otter Creek, Saw Mill Run 
and other smaller tributaries of the Susquehanna.  The western part by Orson’s Run, Tom’s Run 
and the other small tributaries to the Muddy Creek, which stream washes the entire southern and 
western boundaries and separate this township from Fawn, Peach Bottom and Hopewell.  The old 
York & Peach Bottom Ferry road, laid out as early as 1748, diagonally crosses Lower Chanceford 
on the watershed which separates tributaries of the Susquehanna from those of the Muddy Creek.

These streams furnish a plentiful irrigation and excellent water-power for the numerous mills.  
The cereals are now grown with great success in Lower Chanceford.  

More wheat is raised to the acre within the past few years than was raised on ten acres half a 
century ago.  Since 1875 tobacco has been cultivated.  It is now one of the most important 
farming products.  The land grows an excellent quality and yields abundantly.

The census of 1880 gave Lower Chanceford a population of 2,475.  The real estate valuation in 
1884 was $570,139; number of taxables, 719.