AREA HISTORY: York Haven, 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. _______________________________________________ YORK HAVEN – Page 637-640 This village, located at the foot of the Conewago Rapids of the Susquehanna, and in the extreme southeastern part of Newberry Township, was for more than a third of a century, one of the most important business centers in southern Pennsylvania. The history of the Conewago Canal once located here is given in the chapter on “Public Internal Improvements,” page 331. The interests of this place were first managed by the Conewago Canal Company, composed of intelligent and wealthy men, mostly from the city of Philadelphia. On November 20, 1810, Thomas Willing Francis, of Philadelphia, who then represented and managed the company, whose interests consisted of a large merchant-mill, nail factory, ferry and land all assessed at $40,000, transferred all right and title to John Weatherburn, Thomas Wilson and Joseph Townsand, of Baltimore, representing a number of merchants of that city, who, on September 24th, of the same year, formed a company for the purchase of this property. The names of these gentlemen were as follows: William Cole, William Wilson & Sons, William Gwynn, Joseph Townsend, Hackman & Hoppe, Isaac Burnston, Thomas Hillen, John Weatherburn, Dennis A. Smith, Jacob Stansbury, William McMechen, George Repold, James Nelson, John Davis and Joshua Stevenson. They were prominent and influential citizens of Baltimore, and associated themselves together for the purpose of purchasing wheat of this section, and the large quantity that was then floated down the Susquehanna in flat-boats, and manufacturing it into flour in the large merchant-mill already erected, and others which the company designed to build. This new company was formed with a capital of $100,000, divided into twenty-five shares of $4,000. Thomas W. Francis who disposed of the property for the Philadelphia company, retained an interest in the new enterprise to the amount of four shares, or $16,000. Joseph Townsend became manager for the Baltimore company; Joseph Weatherburn and John Wilson, trustees. The land purchased at this time was a tract of 151 acres, a tract of 64 5/8 acres called “Hopewell,” and another tract of 12 acres, projecting into the river called “Cape Francis.” The first two tracts were conveyed to Thomas W. Francis, in 1801, by Charles Willing Hare, a lawyer, of the city of Philadelphia. The conveyance, in 1810, granted to the new company all the “way, woods, water-courses, water, mill-works, rights, liberties, privileges, hereditaments and appurtenances.” The contract signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Elisha Powell and John Amy, before Willigin Tillingham, chief justice of the State of Pennsylvania. The interest at once began to loom up. Three new mills were built, one having a capacity of 150 barrels of flour a day; for that time this mill had the largest capacity of any in the State. Cooper shops, hotels and private residences were soon built. THE TOWN OF YORK HAVEN was laid out in 1814, when a neatly designed plan was prepared under the direction of the “York Haven Company.” There were two sections: the “upper town” was located on the hill to the west of the present site of the railroad, and the “lower town” was down by the canal. The lots were thirty feet wide and 130 feet deep. Several hundred of them were laid off. This being before the era of railroads, river navigation was the subject of great public interest, and it was expected that York Haven would become an important town, and great business center. The names of streets parallel with the river were Canal, Baltimore, Hillen, Stansbury, Wilson, Townsend, Weatherburn, Cole, and Gwynn, after members of the company. The alleys were named after the creeks flowing into the Susquehanna. The cross streets were numbered from first to seventh in order. The plan included a large public square. On the printed deeds of the town lots the name David Cassat, of York, appears as attorney for the company. On each of the deeds the company’s seal was beautifully stamped, which was circular in form, with the representation of a canal and lock, and an overhanging willow tree. The words “York Haven Company” surrounded these. Such was the “paper city” of York Haven, which, if it had not been for the invention of railroads and construction of canals, might have become an important city. BUSINESS INDUSTRY AND OTHER FACTS – There was considerable business enterprise at York haven for many years. Some of the business men at different times were the following: Charles M. Poor, who for a time managed the company’s store and the large hotel. Samuel Inloes kept a dry goods store and had two or three large cooper shops to make flour barrels, and employed twenty or more workmen, he also owned a distillery. Charles Bishop, Jesse McConkey, owned hardware stores, and the last- named at one time kept a large hotel. A Quaker named Rummel owned a nail factory. It was run by water-power. He employed a number of workmen. John T. Ubil who was manager of the company for a time, was a “slave catcher.” He afterward moved to Pottsville, became very poor, and turned out a teamster. There were two large saw- mills built on lease lands. One was owned by Andrew Lightner and the other by Elijah Webb; Henry Small, father of David E. Small, of York, bought the first-named mill. Lewis Harlan managed the cooper shops belonging to the company. Keel-boats with immense quantities of wheat came down the Susquehanna; these were run in the canal and unloaded near the mills. Some of these boats carried 1,000 bushels of grain. Wagoning to Baltimore, to haul the flour to market, became an important business. In 1820 80 cents a barrel was paid to haul it to Baltimore. Thirty or forty teams were present at one time. The horses had bells and the turnpike was alive with interest when these teams started off on their journey. The turnpike was completed to York Haven in 1812, and the large bridge over the Conewago Creek was built below York Haven the same year, by A. Miller. It was taken away by the flood of 1817, and rebuilt soon after by H. Slaymaker. The “ferry and tavern house” was kept by Philip Etter for many years, to March, 1816, when Peter Veal became the lessee. Christian Fensel was for a long time postmaster. The “Canal Road” to Abbottstown was opened about 1814. The large, fine building owned by the company, for many years known as “Waters’ Hotel,” was a very creditable building. During the summer season there were many city boarders at it. Gen. LaFayette, when, on his way to Harrisburg, in January, 1825, stopped here for a short time. Joseph Major, an intelligent gentleman, now living near this place, remembers seeing him come out on the balcony of the hotel. In 1834 Gen. Lewis Cass, while being taken across the Susquehanna, below the falls, was caught in a dense fog and his ferryman got lost in the stream. They wandered around in the stream for hours, and were finally saved during the night by some people who lived at Eib’s Landing. He was then secretary of war under Andrew Jackson, and when he got back to York Haven again, made himself known. He was on his way to visit Simon Cameron. The old time fairs were held here, and according to the stories of old people, they were days of great hilarity. The love of gambling became a mania, especially at the “big hotel,” but Rev. John Fohl, an earnest evangelist of the United Brethren Church, quelled it in part by starting an enthusiastic revival in the ball room of the hotel. The whole community was aroused. Friday, December 15, 1815, John, a thirteen year old son of Joseph Sturges, of Baltimore, while riding along the canal at York Haven, fell with is horse down the embankment and both were drowned. The business interests at York Haven, after the completion of the canal along the river, gradually declined, and when the railroads were built it entirely ceased. Thomas C. Hambley, of York, was manager of the estate which finally passed into the hands of the Glenns, of Baltimore, who in the spring of 1885, sold it to the Conewingo Paper Company. THE LARGE MILL BURNED At 10 o’clock on the night of August 16, 1826, the large mill which was built about ten years before was destroyed by fire. Its original cost was $40,000, and when burned contained 1,200 bushels of wheat and considerable flour. The total loss was $50,000. Says a newspaper of the day, “It was one of the very largest mills in Pennsylvania, and was capable of manufacturing 150 barrels of flour a day.” The mills did not run the entire year, and at the time of the fire, this one was not going. Mr. Hyson, then the manager, was at his home in Baltimore. The flames broke through the roof, before it was seen in any other part of the mill. No fire was used in the mill that day, hence many thought it was the work of an incendiary. Yet there always was a mystery about this fire. A mill owned by the same company located at Port Deposit, Md., burned on the same night; both were insured. Daniel Jackson, the good-natured mulatto watchman did not stay at York Haven after this event. “But I’ll tell you, boss, it was a big fire,” is all he could say about it. This mill had six pairs of buhrs. It was never rebuilt. A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY The fifth story of the large hotel was an immense ball and card playing room. On the night of September 12, 1819, Thomas Frelich, of Washington, D. C., killed Barney Hand, an Irishman. For nearly half a century afterward the blood-stained marks on the floor were shown to the visitor. They were playing at cards, and the stakes were heavy. A large crowd of lookers-on were breathlessly awaiting the result. Hand became enraged, seized the stakes and cards, threw them to the far end of the room and kicked over the table. The excited crowd rushed down stairs, the lights were put out, and the two men engaged in a deadly struggle. In the center of the room was left a pool of blood. Frelich had gotten the better of Hand and threw him out of the window, and his mangled body was found in a ditch near the house. In the meantime, the victor went down stairs, washed his hands, asked for his own horse, and drove away unmolested. He was afterward captured and brought back to York, tried for man-slaughter, but acquitted. And, “as certain as York Haven was once a prosperous place, and we hope will be again, that house was always haunted after that event,” say an old resident. THE YORK HAVEN PAPER MILLS The history of these mills, destined to be one of the most important manufacturing enterprises in York County, has just begun. The site of the flouring-mills and the right of water-power, was purchased from the Glenn estate for $30,000 during the spring of this year (1885). About 200 men, for months, have been constantly employed, opening and widening the canal. The water-power, when completed, will be 3,000 horse-power. The fall of water in canal one mile in length, is twenty-nine feet. Extensive mills will be erected here during the present year at a cost of $400,000. When these are completed the town of York Haven will again become a prominent business center. YORK HAVEN QUARRIES, of pure dolerite, are owned by the Northern Central Railway Company, and were worked by that company for many years, to obtain building stones for bridge piers and public buildings. A vein of this stone crosses Newberry, Warrington, and northern part of Washington Townships, into Adams County, and fine quarries are worked near Gettysburg. F. T. Scott & Co., of York, leased the York Haven quarries in 1882. The following year the firm received a contract to furnish this valuable stone for a decorative wall around the Capitol at Washington, and another order was received for a similar purpose in 1884. The piers of the new railroad bridge at Harrisburg were built of the York Haven granite. About thirty men are regularly employed at these quarries.