AREA HISTORY: Peach Bottom Township, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/ _______________________________________________ History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, Historical Editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886. _______________________________________________ THE TOWNSHIP OF PEACH BOTTOM – Page 761 THIS township was formed by a division of Fawn. The report of the viewers appointed by the court to make the division, was confirmed April 5, 1815. The petitioners requested that the eastern part be called Peach Bottom. The survey was made by Col. James Steele, and according to his draft the township contains 18,313 acres. On the margin of the draft, representing the line along the Susquehanna River, a house, farm buildings, and an orchard, are drawn and marked “John Kirk’s buildings and Peach Orchard.” Fawn Township forms the western boundary, extending from what was then a stone bridge at John Donnell’s mill, to Maryland. The land owners at the time of the division, along Mason & Dixon’s line, from the river westward in order, were Cooper Boyd, Stephen Cooper, John Neeper, Hugh Glasgow, James Steele, John Livingstone, H. Quigley, Boyd Jones, and Col. Matthew Clark. The northern and western part of the township is drained by Niell’s Run, Fishing Creek, Scott’s Run and other smaller streams as tributaries to Muddy Creek which forms the entire northern boundary, separating Peach Bottom from Lower Chanceford and flowing into the Susquehanna. Robison’s Run, McConkey’s Run and Rock Run drain the eastern part and flow into the river, which forms the eastern boundary. Slate Ridge, famous for its quarries of valuable slate, diagonally crosses the township, extending into Maryland. The York & Peach Bottom Railroad intersects it, and the Susquehanna Canal extends along its entire eastern border. The Baltimore & Delta Railroad terminates at Delta. The real estate valuation of this township in 1884 was $667,905; number of taxable inhabitants, 650; population in 1880 was 2,130, exclusive of Delta Borough. The early settlers of Peach Bottom like other parts of the lower end of York County, first cleared small tracts of land, then planted potatoes and corn, and sowed rye and a little wheat. For the first few years fair crops were raised, eventually the land became poor, and the owners let it grow up with wild vegetation, while they turned their attention to the cultivation of newly cleared tracts. Much of the land became known as “barrens.” The raising of wheat was not a success. The introduction of plaster as a fertilizer caused a slight revival in the business of farming. About 1832 lime began to be used. It was brought down the Susquehanna in arks, flat-boats and the familiar keel-boats. About the time the Susquehanna Canal opened, in 1840, the business of farming received a healthy stimulus in this township. Lime became cheaper. The native stone was brought down from the vicinity of Wrightsville, and lime was burned by the farmers and merchants in the township. Some was brought from Maryland. As a fertilizer, lime seemed to work like a charm for a time, but eventually, at least after the second or third liming on the same land, it seemed of less value. Next came the South American guano, which was considered well suited as a fertilizer to the slate soil. Phosphates have been extensively used for a number of years, and are instrumental in producing abundant crops.