AREA HISTORY: Historical Notes, 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. _______________________________________________ HISTORICAL NOTES – Page 769 By the village of Delta stands an historical farm-house. Originally it was built of logs, by Alexander McCandless, one of the first settlers in that section. It became historic by being the birth-place of that eminent orator and statesman, James Ross, who afterward lived in Pittsburgh, and who for a number of years was a representative in Congress from the western part of the State, and from 1797 to 1803 was United States senator. In 1805 and 1808 he was the Federalist candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. The first time against Gov. McKean and the second time against Gov. Simon Snyder. There was a singular coincidence in his life, worthy of notice. While he was a farmer’s boy in Peach Bottom, his future political opponent for governor of Pennsylvania, Simon Snyder, was learning the tanner’s trade in the town of York. The gubernatorial contest of 1808 was one of the most animated annals of Pennsylvania. It was just after England had insulted our American seaman off the coast of Virginia, and during the bitter controversy concerning the management of State affairs. Senator Ross, late in life, paid regular visits to his place of birth. The old Ross mansion is now owned by Robert Ramsay, whose late wife’s mother, Elizabeth Ross Whiteford, was a sister of the senator. Mr. Ramsay, who has lived here since 1827, in 1814 was a soldier in Capt. Amos’s company of 100 men, who marched to the defence of Baltimore when attacked by the British. The company started from the village of Dublin, Md., in the month of August; on the way remained one night in the court house at Bel Air, and the next day arrived at Baltimore. This was two weeks before the arrival of the British. Mr. Ramsay, now at the age of ninety-one, is tall and erect, and walks witk a firm step and steady tread. He delights to talk of the past, and pictures with great accuracy the bombardment of Fort McHenry, as he saw it amid the booming of cannons and the explosion of shells on that eventful night, when Francis S. Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” while a prisoner of war on a British vessel. In 1805, while on his way to school, near Ramsay’s Tavern, Mr. Ramsay narrowly escaped being captured by a drove of wolves. At the election in November, 1884, he cast his sixteenth presidential ballot, voting first for James Madison. His wife, Jane Whiteford, died in 1876, fifty-five years after their marriage. John Flehearty, who lives near the village of Fawn Grove, was born in the year 1790, during the first term of Washington’s administration, which fact makes is life somewhat historic. When young he was employed as a teamster from Harrisburg and points east to Pittsburg. He is nearly ninety-six years old, and is strong, healthy and vigorous. Joshua Kilgore, who died in the township in 1885, aged ninety-one years, was a soldier of 1812. William Edgar, William Rowland, William Luckey, Robert Luckey, David Smith, John Morrison and Robert Martin were appointed viewers in 1748 of “a road from the Ashmore ferry-road to York running south to the temporary line to David Smith’s patented land.” Dr. Whiteford, born in Peach Bottom Township, was a surgeon in the war of 1812, and at Baltimore, and afterward a very prominent physician. Dr. James Montgomery, one of the first physicians of the lower end, after removing to Baltimore, won distinction and prominence in his profession. Rev. Dr. Martin, Hugh Glasgow, Rev. Mr. Parke, Joseph Wiley, Nathan Beamis and Hugh Whiteford were among the first persons to introduce pleasure carriages into this section. They were then a novelty. Patrick Scott and others soon followed their example. As these nabobs approached Slate Ridge meeting-house with their “wheel concerns,” they were the observed of all observers. For a period of ten years there were only eight persons in this township who voted the old Federalist ticket. They were John Kirk, James McConkey, Joseph Webb, John T. Cooper, Daniel Mtichell, Wilson Mitchell, Joseph Mitchell and Robert Ramsay. The last mentioned is still living. Most of the voters here in the early part of the present century were followers of the principles of Thomas Jefferson. Col. Matthew Clark was, as early as 1810, a prominent commander of volunteer and militia companies. He was a member of legislature in 1804 and 1805, and was elected county commissioner in 1824. Major Andrew McConkey succeeded him, and organized a uniformed company during the year 1827, which served a period of seven years. A few of the members of this company are still living. Rev. James Ross Ramsay, son of Robert Ramsay, was born at the homestead near Delta. For thirty years he has been a successful missionary among the Seminoles, in Indian Territory. He is now located at Wewoka in the Territory named. His daughter is a teacher of a school of sixty Indian youths, under the direction and management of her father. Joseph Ross, the father of Senator James Ross, moved from Chanceford to Peach Bottom early in life. Mrs. Coulson, an aunt of ex-Gov. Kirkwood, died in the vicinity of Delta, during the year 1884, at the advanced age of ninety years. Her distinguished nephew visited her while he was a member of President Garfield’s cabinet. “Coulsontown” is a small village of twelve or fifteen houses occupied chiefly by Welsh slaters. It is located below West Bangor, south of Slate Ridge. Slateville Postoffice and store are now kept by S. M. Jenness Foulk Jones, well known as a retired slate operator, owns the property. His residence is near by. There is a collection of a dozen houses composing the hamlet. Hugh Whiteford and Patrick Scott, two prominent persons among the early settlers, were the first to erect large houses in this township. Shortly after the completion of the Susquehanna canal, this section had an abundance of its small currency in denominations of 5 cents to $1. These “shin-plasters” at one time became nearly valueless. Hugh Glasgow, for a number of years, conducted a store between Delta and Peach Bottom at the beginning of the present century. Walton’s store, six miles west of Delta near Fawn Grove, about the same time did a considerable business. John Kirk’s store at the ferry, did a large business as early as 1815. Ramsay’s Tavern in located in the west end of Peach Bottom Township, and is one of the landmarks of the “lower end.” The voting place of the two townships, before the time of their separation, was one-half mile north of this place. Eventually it was moved to the tavern, which continued to be used for a number of years after the formation of Peach Bottom. This tavern being on one of the main highway to the Peach Bottom Ferry, before the times of railroads, was a prominent stopping place for teamsters and travelers. David Ramsay was proprietor for many years. In the year 1819 a duel was fought by Dr. Brownlow and John Chauncey, members of the Maryland legislature, near Ramsay’s Tavern. The cause was difference of views on some political issue of the day. Brownlow was slightly wounded in the arm at first shot, after which the duelists and those who accompanied them, left for their homes. Two intoxicated persons in 1835 had a difficulty in Roland Perry’s tavern at Peach Bottom; being much exasperated they concluded the only way to settle it was with pistols. But one weapon could be secured. They then concluded to draw lots in order to determine who should use it first. The jovial landlord after the draw proposed to load the pistol himself, and placed in it only powder and a wad. The combatants stood up bravely; the weapon was aimed and discharged at close quarters, but greatly to the discomfiture of the one who fired, the load took no effect on his opponent and the duel ended in a fist-fight. The oldest citizen of the township recollect when deer were plentiful and when the howling wolves were heard and seen along the hillsides. There were a few wild deer until 1835. The last one killed in the vicinity of Delta in 1838 was run by hounds and caught on the ice which covered the Susquehanna, above Peach Bottom Ferry. Wolves were seen as late as 1815. Some of the rugged hills along the Muddy Creek were noted resorts for these voracious animals. “Cold Cabins” is a place familiarly known to the people of a quarter of a century or more ago, as a prominent stopping place for boats on the Susquehanna canal. Considerable lime was landed there as there was quite a large boat-yard, where goods of various kinds were delivered. Dr. Thomas Mongtomery was one of the last persons to own slaves in Peach bottom Jabes Kirkwood, the father of Ex-Gov. Kirkwood of Iowa, was for many years an elder in Slate Ridge Church.