AREA HISTORY:  Newberrytown, 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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NEWBERRYTOWN – Page 625-627

This village was laid out by Cornelius Garretson, in the year 1791.  It is located 
near the center of Newberry Township, on a ridge of trap formation nearly two miles 
in width, and extending from a point north of Lewisberry to York Haven.  On many 
parts of this ridge are huge boulders of dolerite (granite) and the familiar “iron 
stone.”  A short distance west of town, at a point called “Roxbury,” these boulders 
present to the eye of the observer a novel and interesting sight.  A survey was made 
and forty-three lots laid out by the founder of the town.  Soon afterward the 
following-named persons purchased one or more lots:  James Garretson, Henry Krieger, 
Esq., John Wilson, William Kline, William Wickersham, Samuel Miller, William 
Bratton, Christopher Wilson, Herman Kline, William Underwood, Zephaniah Underwood, 
Elisha Kirk, Cornelius Garretson, John McCreary, Samuel Garretson, Jane Willoughby 
and Eli Lewis.  Nearly all of these persons named were Quakers, some of them, or 
their ancestors, had located there and in the vicinity about fifty years before the 
founding of the town.  Henry Krieger was of German origin, and for many years served 
as a justice of the peace.  Zephaniah Underwood and his son were teachers among the 
Friends.  They belonged to the Warrington Meeting.  The streets named in the 
original plat were Main, on the road to Glancey’s Ferry, on which the town is built; 
Union, Mill and Front Streets.  Being located on the road leading from Lancaster to 
Carlisle, crossing the Susquehanna at a ferry chronologically known as Galbreath’s, 
Lowe’s, Glancey’s and finally as the York Haven Ferry, Newberrytown became an 
important stopping place.  In 1794 about 1,000 soldiers, known as the “Whisky Boys,” 
passed through the then young village on their way to Carlisle, where they joined 
the army that was reviewed by President Washington, and marched to the western part 
of Pennsylvania, to quell the whisky insurrection.  Benjamin House accompanied them 
as a volunteer soldier.  He lived somewhere in the immediate vicinity.  There were 
others who did the same, but their names cannot now be ascertained.  The soldiers 
came from Philadelphia and the eastern counties.  It was during the month of 
October.  They encamped one night in a meadow one mile northeast of Lewisberry, and 
the next day crossed the Yellow Breeches Creek at Lisburn, thence to Carlisle.

Among the Revolutionary soldiers of Newberry and vicinity were William Kline and 
Frederich Boyer (Byers).   

William Kline, always known as “Billy” Kline, was one of the original lot owners of 
the village.  In the Continental army he served in Col. Anthony Wayne’s regiment, 
Capt. Fraser’s company, from December, 1775, until March, 1777.  He lived to a good 
old age, and died about 1830.  He was accustomed to tell many thrilling stories of 
the daring bravery of his famous commander, and tradition says he afterward, in 
1781, joined Gen. Wayne’s army at York, on its march to the South.

Frederich Byers served in the detachment under Col. Almon, from 1777 to 1779, when 
he enlisted in a corps of cavalry under Capt. Selinki, and under command of Gen. 
Pulaski, he served in the corps until nearly the whole of it was destroyed.  He 
lived until after 1820.  The nick-name “Hessian,” applied to him, was altogether 
inappropriate, except that he nobly assisted to capture a number of them in the 
battle of Brandywine.  These soldiers both became pensioners under the act of 1818.

This village did not grow rapidly, as it is now nearly a century old and does not 
exceed 200 in population.  It is the voting place of the township.

The historic old Quaker meeting and burying ground are in the east end of the 
village.  For the history of it, the reader’s attention is directed to the article 
on the “Friends,” in this work, page -----.

The first place of meeting was a log-building near the present site of Mrs. Lydia 
Crull’s house.

A short distance north of the village, Isaac Taylor, during the civil war and some 
years later, manufactured a considerable amount of sorghum.


PUBLIC WELL – Cornelius Garrettson and Hannah his wife, in 1803, for a consideration 
of 5 shillings, deeded to “the inhabitants of the town of Newberry, and for and in 
behalf of those persons who may at any time hereafter attend the meetings of the 
Society of Friends, or for persons who may pass through the town for divers other 
causes,” a well of water lying near the meeting house of Friends.  The well is still 
in public use, and yields good water.  It is near the old meeting house.


THE POSTOFFICE – When York Haven was in its glory as a manufacturing center, the 
mail for Newberry and vicinity was obtained at that place.  In 1826 Thomas 
Wickersham secured the establishment of an office here.  It was on account of the 
postoffice that the name then became Newberrytown.  At this time John Hays, then a 
youth, obtained a contract to carry the mail from York Haven to Newberrytown, once a 
week.  Thomas Wickersham continued postmaster for ten years or more, and was 
succeeded by Adam Stevens, Jesse Hays, John Crull, Jacob Wolf, John B. Crull, Dr. 
Alfred Myers, Mrs. Crull and Servatus Hays.


STORES – The first store in the village was kept by Henry Krieger nearly a century 
ago, in the house which has since been remodeled, and is now owned by Mrs. Jane 
Herman.  Henry Kister, Charles Bishop, Mills Hays, Jesse Hays, Joseph McCreary, John 
Crull, Martin Crull, J. Miller, George Beck, David Updegraff, Servatus Hays and 
Ambrose Brubaker have each conducted the mercantile business in Newberrytown.


THE CIGAR INDUSTRY – During the year 1831, Jacob B. Wolf introduced the manufacture 
of cigars in Newberrytown.  He came from Strinestown, and brought with him a number 
of workmen, who had learned the trade.  At that time all cigars made in York County 
were of an inferior quality of tobacco, and most of the cigars themselves were 
familiarly called “tobies.”  A better kind was soon manufactured.  This new industry 
added greatly to the material interests of the village, and soon furnished 
employment to a large number of the citizens of both sexes.  Christian Shelley 
married a daughter of Jacob Wolf, and embarked in the business on quite an extensive 
scale.  Abraham Brinton and Joel Brinton did a large business, and Alexander Frazer, 
at one time, employed about fifty workmen.  Some of the other manufactures of 
importance have been as follows:  Julius Kister, Kurtz & Taylor, D. H. Kister, David 
Updegraff, C. E. Bare, H. S. Byers, A. K. Whisler, R. W. Lease and Koch & Son; Crull 
Hays at present is engaged in the manufacture of cigar boxes.  For the past twenty 
years fine qualities of cigars are made.


A POTTERY – A lost industry to the village is the manufacture of pottery ware, which 
was begun by Thomas Wickersham, who for many years employed about half a dozen men.  
He began his pottery about 1830, and continued until 1851, when he moved to Keokuk, 
Iowa.  In 1838, and one or two years following, he became prominently identified 
with the raising of the silk mulberry trees, but like the experiments of many others 
in the Redland Valley, and in fact in many other places, it did not prove a success.  
Jesse May purchased the pottery and worked it.  He was followed in the same business 
by Jesse and Julius Meredith.  It has been discontinued for a number of years.  The 
clay used was an excellent quality, obtained along the Hay Run, in Newberry 
Township.  


York COUNTY RANGERS was the name of a volunteer military company, organized in 
Newberrytown about 1825, and drilled seven years.  Alvin Ward was captain; Peter 
Beard first lieutenant; Ezekiel Sankey, fifer; Emanuel Sipe, John Funk and D. K. 
Noell (now of York), drummers.  The company consisted of fifty men.  The captain 
became a local preacher, and the company disbanded.  

The Newberry Volunteers were commanded by Capt. John Crull.  The Captain and most of 
his company entered the Union army during the civil war.


“Paddletown” is a familiar name for a small collection of dwellings near the old 
meeting house.  A long while ago Abigail Miller, of Newberrytown, had two married 
daughters, who lived at this place.  Their many children “paddled” back and forth to 
visit the affectionate grandmother, who gave their home the name long since used.


UNION MEETING HOUSE was located a short distance northeast of Newberrytown.  In 1833 
the house was built by the Methodists, United Brethren in Christ, Baptists and 
Church of God.  It was used until 1884.  The first Sunday-school of the vicinity was 
organized in it, and the same building, for a long time, was also used as a 
schoolhouse.  Jacob G. Kister, John S. Nichols and John machlin were the first 
trustees.  Mills Hays was secretary and treasurer.  The land was purchased by John 
Ort.


THE BETHEL CHURCH in the village was built in 1856, and dedicated during the 
following February.  Rev. Carlton Price was then pastor.  The building committee 
were Jacob F. Krone, Christian Shelley, Jacob B. Wolf and Samuel McCreary.  This 
church is a part of the East York Circuit of the Church of God, and is served by the 
same pastor as Goldsboro Bethel.


ST. PAUL’S CHURCH, of the Evangelical Association, was built of an excellent quality 
of native sandstone, under the auspices of the Evangelical Association, in 1873.  
The building committee were the pastor, Rev. A. W. Kramer, H. S. Byers and H. M. 
Whisler.  The cost was $2,500.  Rev. U. T. Swengel preached the dedicatory sermon, 
in February, 1874.  Rev. Kramer was succeeded by Revs. John Irvine, E. Swengel, 
Stapleton, Samuel Davis, Anthony and L. Dice.  The church occupies a commanding 
position of an eminence overlooking the beautiful Fishing Creek Valley, to the 
north; the picturesque Susquehanna and the fertile fields of Dauphin and Lancaster 
Counties, on the east.  The trustees are Washington Ort, Jacob G. Brinton, William 
Sommons and H. M. Whisler.  A Sunday-school is held in the church.