AREA HISTORY:  Mount Wolf Village, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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MOUNT WOLF VILLAGE – Page 618-619

Mount Wolf is a thrifty and prosperous village, on the Northern Central Railway, 
one-half mile northeast of Manchester Borough and seven miles from York.  The grade 
here to the “Summit,” about two miles south, is fifty feet to the mile.  This is the 
highest point on the railroad between York and Bridgeport.  In the year 1850, soon 
after the completion of the railroad to Harrisburg, a postoffice was established 
one-quarter of a mile south of the present railroad station, and named “Mt. 
Campbell.”

In the year 1852 the firm of Adam Wolf & Sons, opened a store and began purchasing 
grain, and started a coal and lumber yard.  The business was continued under this 
firm until 1863, when William W. Wolf, one of the sons, was elected sheriff of York 
County, and removed to York in November of this year.  He died before his term of 
office expired.  Adam Wolf, the father and senior member, retired from business.  
Since then, George H. Wolf has been sole proprietor, and has done an extensive and 
prosperous business.  Large quantities of wheat, from the surrounding fertile and 
productive country, are annually purchased.  Some is manufactured into flour at a 
mill which hw owns near by, and much shipped to Baltimore and elsewhere.  Since the 
decline of New Holland and Eib’s Landing, as lumber depots, Mt. Wolf has become an 
important center for this trade.  During the past few years the firm of George H. 
Wolf & Co., with which John Wogan was associated as partner, purchased large 
quantities of tobacco, an important product of this township.  A few houses were 
erected soon after Mt. Wolf became a business center.  The town was laid out in 
1867, by Samuel Hoff, on an area of thirty acres, with 165 lots, from a survey made 
by Daniel Ettinger, of York.  At present there are about fifty dwelling houses, a 
church, and a two-story schoolhouse.  A few of the houses are brick, but most of 
them are frame, of attractive design, newly painted, and everything around indicates 
neatness and prosperity.  The large grist-mill, a short distance north of the 
village, now doing such effective service, was built in 1813, by John Rodes, a 
Mennonite preacher.  It subsequently passed into possession of John Gross, George 
Mathias, and George H. Wolf, the present owner.

A few years ago Mr. Wolf built a large house for a depot and store.  This being the 
station for Manchester Borough, New Holland, Starview, and the thickly settled 
surrounding country, it is an important stopping place for passenger trains.  The 
name, Mt. Wolf, originated in 1852, when the postoffice was removed from Mt. 
Campbell to its present place.  The population of the village, in 1885, was 200.  
About 1820, Christian Rodes built a fulling-mill a short distance above here.  It is 
now owned by a grandson, Zebulon Rodes.


Christ of the United Brethren in Christ – The members of this denomination built a 
house of worship, in the year 1870, under the direction of Henry Hoff, Sr., John 
Spahr, and Samuel Bear, as a building committee.  Including bell, it cost $2,800.  
It was dedicated the same year by Rev. William B. Raber.  The church membership is 
about eighty, and the Sunday-school membership 150, with Jacob G. Kunkel as 
superintendent.  The pastors since the church was built were W. H. Craumer, S. T. 
Wallace, George W. Beatty, Alexander Tripner, A. H. Rice, I. H. Albright and Thomas 
Garland.