AREA HISTORY:  Township of West Manchester, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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FORMATION OF TOWNSHIP – Page 621

WEST MANCHESTER was formed out of Manchester Township.  A petition from a large 
number of signers was presented to the September Court of 1799, Judge John Joseph 
Henry, presiding, asking for the appointment of viewers to report a division of 
Manchester Township, which at that time, in the language of the petitioners, “is 
fifteen miles in length, which is three times its breadth; that there would be 
350 taxable inhabitants in the remaining part of township after the proposed 
division; with such extended limits, it is difficult for road supervisors, tax 
collectors and other officers to perform their necessary duties.”  They, 
therefore, asked that the request in petition be granted.  It was favorably 
considered by the court, and Martin Kreber, Jacob Spangler, John Sharp, Esq., 
John Rudisill, John Rothrock, and John Henisen were appointed viewers.  They made 
a report recommending a division, which was approved by the court December 3, 
1799.  The draft of the survey is described as follows:  “A line beginning at a 
post on the banks of the Codorus, on Jacob Gardner’s land, thence through the 
lands of Joseph Uppdegraff and William Willis, across the great road leading to 
Prunk’s Mill (now the site of Goldsboro), across Peter Sank’s mill dam and lands 
of Daniel Worley and James Worley, along Green Brier Road to the Little Conewago 
Creek, crossing lands of Jacob Hahn, John Dobbins, Peter Lindt, and Philip 
Kreber; thence up the creek to Philip Wolf’s plantation to the corners of Dover 
and Paradise (now Jackson) Townships; thence nearly due south to the west branch 
of the Codorus Creek; down this stream to its union with the south branch of 
Codorus, and down the Codorus to York Borough line, to place of beginning.”  The 
board of viewers, at the instance of petitioners, requested that this new 
district be called West Manchester.

The following letter, concerning the early settlement of this township, will be 
of interest.

                                       York Town, April 23, 1746.
To Richard Peters:
     Secretary of the Province of Pennsylvania.
     The Bearer, Paul Dittenhaver, has purchased an improvement about three miles 
west from York, and paid £150 for it.  The land was settled by Adam Dickinson, 
who it is said has an entry on your books, by ye Proprietaries Order for settling 
the same on his obtaining license from ye Indians, who lived thereabout.  He 
applies for a warrant or Order of survey.  You may suppose, from ye price, that 
it’s a valuable improvement, and has been Long Settled.  If there is any such 
Entry, I Doubt not the Proprietaries granting it.  The land adjoins Casper 
Springer, Adam Fiel, Jacob Heestand and Nicholas Baghn.  As these people have ye 
Proprietors’ Grants, they are encroaching upon this Plantation on every side & 
destroying ye Timber so that if he does not Get an Order of survey, the place 
will be much injured.”    
                                       Thy friend,
                                          Thomas Cookson,
                                     Deputy Surveyor for Lanc. County.