We have no means of determining the exact order of settlements in
other parts of the country.
In what is ANTRIMTOWNSHIP there must have been settlers as early
as 1734. In the JOHNSTON GRAVEYARD, near SHADY GROVE, is a tablet
bearing the name of JAMES JOHNSON, who died in 1765. "From documents
still extant," says the inscription "he settled on the land on which he
died as early as 1735 and was probably the first white settler in what
is now ANTRIMTOWNSHIP, FranklinCounty." He had two sons, JAMES and
THOMAS, both of whom were colonels in the Revolutionary war. About the
same time settlements were made near the present site of GREENCASTLE,
by JOSEPH CRUNKLETON, JACOB SNIVELY, AND JAMES RODY. SNIVELY was the
progenitor of a large and respectable family, many of whom still live
in the township, concerning whom much will be said in the township and
biographical sketches. (Footnote: Some of the earliest warrants found
in the surveyor's office bear date as follows: 1737, JOHN MITCHELL.
DAVID McGAW; 1738, DAVID SCOTT, GEORGE REYNOLDS; 1740-42, DAVID
KENNEDY, HUMPHREY JONES; 1743-50, JOHN POTTER, SAMUEL MCPHERREN, JOHN
BROTHERTON, ROBERT WALLACE, WILLIAM MAGAW, THOMAS POE, GEORGE GIBSON,
WILLIAM SMITH, JACOB SNIVELY, WILLIAM ALLISON, ABRAHAM GABLE, and JOHN
DAVISON.
At that time the settlement in the county were known in the
aggregate as the "Conococheague Settlement." Owing to the peculiar
condition of land arrangements, settlers occupied certain tracts by
virtue of a sort of "squatter possession," each one choosing a site
according to his taste. Hence, families lived, often for a series of
years on tracts before they received proper legal authority for the
same.
On the west bank of the Conococheague, near the present site of
Bridgeport, in PETERSTOWNSHIP, settled WILLIAM McDOWELL in 1730 or
1731. He had a large family of sons and daughters, who became prominent
in the subsequent development of the country. The records of the
surveyor's office show that warrants for land were held in what is
PETERSTOWNSHIP, as early as 1737, by REV. JOHN BLACK and SAMUEL
HARRIS; 1738 ANDREW McCLEARY; 1742, HENRY JOHNSTON and JOHN TAYLOR;
1743, JAMES GLENN, WILLIAM BURNEY and JAMES McCLELLAN; 1744, ROBERT
McCLELLAN. By McCAULEY it is claimed that some of these were settlers
as early as 1730. They were mainly Scotch-Irish, as will be seen by the
names.
PATHVALLEY had early settlers, likewise. The records of the
surveyor's office show that SAMUEL BECHTEL had a warrant in what is now
FANNETTTOWNSHIP, for 176 acres, which bore date January 24, 1737, and
was surveyed the 24th of the following may by ZACH. BUTCHER, deputy
surveyor. At that time, it was in HOPEWELLTOWNSHIP, LANCASTERCOUNTY.
The same records show that THOMAS DOYLE had a warrant in the same
region for 530 acres, dated November 29, 1737, and surveyed December 30
following. Neither of these men had neighbors immediately adjoining
them, showing the settlements to be sparse. Settlements must have been
made quite rapidly in the valley, notwithstanding its ownership by the
Indians; for in 1750 RICHARD PETERS, secretary of the commonwealth, in
a letter to the governor dated July 2, in which he gives an account of
the removal of certain citizens because of their encroachments on
interdicted territory, says: "On Wednesday, the 30th of May, the
magistrates (footnote: MATTHEW DILL, GEORGE CROGHAN, BENJAMIN
CHAMBERS, THOMAS WILSON, JOHN FINDLAY, AND JAMES GALBREATH, ESQS.,
justices of the county of CUMBERLAND. And company, under-sheriff of
CumberlandCounty, being detained two days by rain, proceeded over the
KittochtinnyMountains, and entered into TUSCARA (TUSCARORA) PATH or
PATHVALLEY, through which the road to ALLEGHANY lies. Many settlements
were formed in this valley, and all the people were sent for and the
following persons appeared, viz: ABRAHAM SLACH, JAMES BLAIR, MOSES
MOORE, ARTHUR DUNLAP, ALEXANDER McCARTIE, DAVID LEWIS, ADAM McCARTIE,
FELIX DOYLE, ANDREW DUNLAP, ROBERT WILSON, JACOB PYATT, JACOB PYATT,
JR., WILLIAM RAMAGE, REYNOLDS ALEXANDER, SAMUEL PATTERSON, ROBERT
BAKER, JOHN ARMSTRONG, and JOHN POTTS, who were all convicted, by their
own confession to the magistrates, of the like trespasses with those at
SHERMAN'S CREEK and were bound in the like with all their families,
servants, cattle and effects, and having all voluntarily given
possession of their houses to me, some ordinary log houses, to the
number of eleven, were burnt to the ground, the trespassers, most of
them cheerfully and a very few of them with reluctance, carrying out
all their goods. Some had been deserted before and lay waste."
JOHN HASTIN was one of the early settlers on the line of LURGAN
and LETTERKENNY TOWNSHIPS. He may have radiated from SHIPPENSBURG as a
center. The statement of his survey, made by ZACH. BUTCHER, D. S.,
November 4, 1736, says: "By virtue of a warrant from the honorable
proprietaries, bearing date ______, I have surveyed and laid out unto
JOHN HASTIN, in the township of HOPWELL, in the county of LANCASTER, on
the west side of the Susquehanna River, six hundred and three acres of
land with allowance of six per cent." The warrant, it seems, though no
date is given, was of prior time. FRANCIS and SAMUEL JONES are
represented as neighbors.
JOHN REYNOLDS had a warrant for land, in what is now LURGAN
TOWNSHIP, dated October 6, 1738, and surveyed May 16,1743. His
neighbors at the time were ROBERT EDMONSON, SAMUEL REYNOLDS and EDWARD
SHIPPEN, ESQ. In what is now HAMILTONTOWNSHIP, warrants were issued in
1737 to MATTHEW PATTON and GEORGE LEONARD; in 1738 to DAVID BLACK and
SAMUEL MOREHEAD. Their neighbors at the time were SAMUEL JONES,
NATHANIEL NEWLINS, ROBERT PATTON, JAMES BROTHERTON, ADAM HOOPS,
BENJAMIN GASS, JAMES YOUNG, THOMAS MOREHEAD and THOMAS PATTERSON. In
MONTGOMERY, as it now exists, was PHILIP DAVIS in 1737; JAMES HARLAND
and JOHN DAVYRICH were his neighbors; in 1749 THOMAS EVANS, with DAVID
ALEXANDER, JOHN DAVIS and AARON ALEXANDER as neighbors; in 1743,
WILLIAM MAXWELL, with JOHN McLELLAND and ROBERT McCOY as neighbors; and
in same year, ROBERT CULBERSON, with WILLIAM and THOMAS DINWIDDY and
JAMES GARDNER as neighbors. About the same time, also, ALEXANDER BROWN,
THOMAS SELLERS, JOHN McCLELLAN, WALTER BEATTY, ALEX WHITE, WILSON
HALLIDAY and MARTHA HOWRY were settlers. In the present SOUTHAMPTON,
REV. JOHN BLAIN and THOMAS EDMUNDSON had warrants as early as 1743.
In ST. THOMAS were, 1738, THOMAS ARMSTRONG; in 1742, JOHN HOLLIDAY;
1743 and 1744, ROBERT CLUGADGE, JAMES CAMPBELL, GEORGE GALLOWAY,
MICHAEL CAMPBELL, WILLIAM CAMPBELL, GEORGE CUMING, JOHN McCONNELL,
SAMUEL McCLINTOCK, ROBERT RITCHEY.
In GREENE the oldest warrant found was that of JOSEPH CULBERTSON
in 1744. ALEXANDER CULBERTSON had one dated 1749. Their neighbors at
the time were JOHN NEAL, WILLIAM CARR, REUBEN GILLESPIE, JOHN STUMP.
This settlement was known as CULBERTSON'S ROW.
At the early period we have thus far borne in mind, Little Cove
seems not to have been settled, it being greatly exposed to Indian
depredations. As a rule, warrants date from 1755, the earliest one
found, to 1769, between which dates are found ENOCH WILLIAMS, REES
SHELBY, WILIAM SMITH, WILLIAM PINDELL, EVAN PHILLIPS, SAMUEL OWENS,
JAMES McCLELLAN, HUGH MARTIN, JOHN MARTIN, DAVID HUISTON, LEWIS DAVIS,
and DAVID BROWN.
WASHINGTONTOWNSHIP, it seems, was not settled so early as some of
the eastern and southwestern districts. It and QUINCYTOWNSHIP became
largely the homes of the Germans, who crossed SouthMountain from YORK
and ADAMS COUNTIES. Warrants from 1743 to 1750 embrace MICHAEL LEGATE,
JOHN MARKLEY, JOHN MORHEAD, JAMES JOHNSTON, JACOB BEESECKER, EDWARD
NICHOLS, MICHAEL RAUMSAWHER, MATHIAS RINGER, JOHN STONER, JOHN STEINER,
JOHN SNOWBERGER, JAMES WHITEHEAD and JOHN WALLACE.
In QUINCY, between same dates, GEORGE COOK, WILLIAM PATRICK, JOHN
LEEPER, JAMES JACK.
It is much to be regretted that the names of these early pioneers,
who struggled so heroically against the wilds of the forest and the
depredations of the savages, have not been more carefully preserved. We
append, however, a list of taxable names in 1751 and 1752. From it may
be learned the general locations of these settlers:
TAXABLES' NAMES, 1751 and 1752
In ANTRIMTOWNSHIP - which embraced the territory now in ANTRIM,
WASHINGTON, and QUINCYTOWNSHIPS - the taxables' names were as follows:
William Allison
Widow Adams
Joshua Alexander
Thomas Brown
Jacob Batterly
William Brotherton
John Chambers
George Cassil
William Clark
William Cross
Joshua Coal
Josh. Crunkleton, Jr.
Peter Craul
John Crunkleton
William Dunbar
Thomas Davis
John Davies
Henry Dutch
David Duncan
William Erwin
Robert Erwin
James Finley
William Grimes
Nicholas Gulp
John Gyles
Lorance Galocher
Thomas Grogan
George Gordon
Abraham Gabriel
Paulus Harick
Robert Harkness
William Hall
Nath. Harkness
Christian Hicks
Robert Hamilton
Adam Hoops
James Jack
James Johnston
Peter Johnston
Henry Kefort
James Kerr
David Kennedy
Widow Leiper
Peter Leiper
Kath. Leatherman
Dietric Lauw
James Lilon
Thomas Long
William McGaw
Samuel McFaran
John Mitchel
William McAlmory
William Mearns
William McLean
George Martin
John Monk
John Moorhead
John McMath
William McBriar
David McBriar
James McBride
Josh. McFaran
David McClellan
James McClanahan
Hugh McClellan
Patrick McIntire
Arch. McClean
Samuel Monagh
William McClellan
John Moor
John McCoon
John McDowell
Alexander Miller
James McKee
Patrick McClarin
Edward Nichols
Thomas Nisbit
Jacob Pisacker
Thomas Patterson
John Pritchet
Thomas Poa
Henry Pauling
John Potter
James Paile
William Patrick
James Pattro
John Reynolds
William Rankin
William Ramsey
James Ramsey
John Roass
Mathias Ringer
Joseph Roddy
John Roal
Samuel Smith
John Scott
Robert Southerland
John Smith
James Scott
Daniel Scott
John Staret
Henry Stall
Jacob Snider
William Shanon
Jacob Snively
John Stoaner
Katharine Thomson
Anthony Thomson
Moses Thomson
Joseph Walter
John Willocks
John Wallace.
FREEMEN:
E. Alexander, Alex. Cook, W. Campbel, Jacob Gabrial, Hugh Galocher,
Adam Murray, Hugh McKee, Daniel McCoy, Daniel McCowan, Wm. McGaughey,
James McGowan, Joseph Morgan, James Ross, John Snively, Charles White,
James Young -128
In GUILFORD - including what is now CHAMBERSBURG -
John Anderson, Wm. Adams, Thomas Baird, George Cook, Benjamin
Chambers, Frederick Croft, Peter Coaset, James Crawford, Edward
Crawford, Mayant Duff, John Forsyth, Benjamin Gass, John Henderson,
James Jack, Patrick Jack, James Lindsay, John Lindsay, Charles McGill,
Wm. McKinney, John Mushet, John Nobel, William Nujant, John O'Cain,
Solomon Patterson, Robert Patrick, Nathaniel Simpson, Henry Thomson
Freemen:
Archibald Douglass, Henry Black, Alexander McAlister, Robert Uart, 31
In HAMILTON - which then included the present township of HAMILTON and
about one-half of the present township of ST. THOMAS -
Joseph Armstrong, Matthew Arthur, Josh. Barnet, James Barnet, Thomas
Barnet, Jr., James Boyd, Thomas Barnet, Andrew Brattan, John Blain, Wm.
Boal, Robert Barnet, John Campbell, Adam Carson, James Denny, Robert
Donelson, John Dixon, Matthew Dixon, John Eaton, Josh. Eaton, James
Eaton, Robert Elliot, Johnston Elliot, Wm. Eckery, John Galaway, James
Hamilton, John Hindman, Alex. Hamilton,
Edward Johnston, Patrick Knox, William McCord, Samuel McCamish, Samuel
Moorehead, Thomas Patterson, Joshua Pepper, George Reynolds, William
Rankin, John Swan, Widow Swan, Edward Thorn, Aaron Watson
Freemen;
Dennis Kease, Josh. McCamish, 42
In LURGAN - which then included the present townships of LURGAN,
LETTERKENNY, SOUTHAMPTON and GREEN -
Benjamin Allworth
James Allison
Thos. Alexander
Andrew Baird, Jr.
James Breckenridge
John Boyd
James Boail (or Boall)
James Boyd,
Laird Burns
Robert Boyd
Samuel Buckenstos
William Barr
William Baird (turner)
William Baird (at Rocky Spring)
John Burns
Francis Brain
William Breckenridge
Alexander Culbertson
Archibald Campbell,
Dennis Cotter
Joseph Culbertson
John Cessna
James Caldwell
John Crawford
John Cumins
James Culbertson
Nathaniel Cellar
Oliver Culbertson
Samuel Culbertson
Samuel Cochran
Steven Colwell
William Cox
William Cochran
William Chambers
David Carson
Wm. Devanner
Jacob Donelson
William Erwin
John Evans
John Erwin
Andrew Finley
John Finley, Sr.
John Finley, Esq.
John Finley (sawyer)
James Finley
Robert Finley
George Ginley
John Graham
Robert Gabie
Thomas Grier
William Greenlee
William Guthrie
John Grier
Arthur Graham
Isaac Grier
John Gaston
David Heron
Francis Heron
Gustavus Henderson
James Henderson
Joshua Henderson
James Henry
John Hawthorn
Christian Irwin
William Jack
Samuel Jordan
John Jones
Nathaniel Johnson
David Johnson
John Johnson
Thomas Jack
John Kirkpatrick
John Kirkpatrick, Jr.
John Kerr
John Kennedy
James Kirkpatrick
John Lowrie
John Leckey
James Lawder
Robert Long
Samuel Laird
William Linn
William Linn, Jr.
David Linn
Archibald Machan
Arthur Miller
Andrew Murphey
Alexander Mitchell
Alexander McNutt
Charles McGlea
David McCright
George Mitchell
Gavin Mitchell
Humphrey Montgomery
Henry Machan
John Miller Esq.
James McCamant
John McKeany
John McCall
James McCall
John McCrea
John McKee
John Mitchel
James Mitchel
John Mitchel, Jr.
John McCrea
John Machen
Joseph McKibben
John McNaught
John McCappin
John Montgomery
John McCombs
Machan McCombs
Mat. McCreary
Robert McConnel
Robert Miller
Robert Machan
Thomas McComb
Thomas Miner
William McConnell
William Mitchell
William McNutt
William McCall
Charles Murray
Joseph Mitchell
Andrew Neal
James Norrice
Thomas Neal
James Ortan
David Paxton
George Pumroy
James Patterson
Mr.______Riley (at Mr. Hoops')
John Rippie
Josiah Ramage
James Reed, Sr.
James Reed, Jr.
James Reed
Samuel Rippie
Wm. Reed
Robert Reed (cordwainer)
Charles Stewart
James Sharp
Robert Scott
Ranald Slack
William Turner
Alvard Terrence
Joseph Thomson
James Tait
Robert Urie
Thomas Urie
Abm. Wier
David Watson
Hugh Wier
Johnn Weyley
John Weir
James Waid
John Wilson
Nathaniel Wilson
Oliver Wallace
Wm. Withrow
Wm. Woods
Wm. Walker
Alexander Walker
William Young.
Freemen:
James Hawthorne, Morgan Linch, Geo. McKeaney, William Milrea, Charles
Moor, George Ross, John Tait -176.
In PETERSTOWNSHIP - which then included the present townships of PETERS
and MONTGOMERY, and that part of ST. THOMASTOWNSHIP west of CAMPBELL's
RUN -
Daniel Alexander
Andrew Alexander
Wm. Armstrong
Hezekiah Alexander,
Adam Armstrong
Arthur Alexander
John Baird
James Blair
Alex. Brown,
Thomas Barr
Ann Black (widow)
Thomas Boal
Samuel Brown
Wm. Barnett,
Joshua Bradner
John Black
John Baird
James Black
Widow Brown,
Robert Barnet
David Bowel
John Blair
George Brown
Wm. Clark
Robert Clugage
Wm. Campbell
Michael Carsell
Samuel Chapman
Thomas Calhoun,
Michael Campbell
Robert Crawford
Patrick Clark
Wm. Campbell
Robert Culbertson
Charles Campbell
Thomas Clark
John Dickey
James Dickey,
Widow Donelson
Wm. Dunwood
John Docherty
Samuel Davis
David Davis,
James Davis
Widow Davis
Philip Davis
Joseph Dunlop
Arthur Donelson
David Davis
Nath. Davis
Josh. Davis
Thomas Davis
James Erwin
Widow Farier
John Flanaghin
James Flanaghin
Moses Fisher
James Galbreath,
John Gilmore
Widow Garison
Samuel Gilespie
James Galaway
Josh. Harris
John Harris
Jeremiah Harris
Charles Harris
Widow Huston,
James Holland
John Huston
John Hamilton
Joseph How
John Holyday,
Wm. Holyday
Wm. Hanbey
David Huston
John Hill
James Holiday
Alex. Hotchison
Mesech James
Hugh Kerrell
Wm. Lowrie
Henry Larkan
Wm. Maxwell
James Mitchell
John Morlan
John Martin
James Mercer
John Mercer
Wm. Marshall
Wm. Moor
Widow McFarland
Andrew Morison
John McDowell
Alex. McKee
Robert McClellan
Wm. McDowell, Jr.
Wm. McClellan
John McClellan
Andrew Moor
Wm. McDowell
James McConnell
Robert McCoy
Wm. McIllhatton
James McMahon
James Murphy
Wm. Morrison
James McClellan
Robert Newell
Victor Neely
James Orr
Thomas Orbison
Thomas Owins
Nathan Orr
Matthew Patton
John Patton,
Francis Patterson
David Rees
James Rankin
Alex. Robertson
Wm. Semple
James Sloan
Richard Stevens
Andrew Simpson
Wm. Shannon
Hugh Shannon
Widow Scott
Alex. Staret
Collin Spence
John Taylor
James Wright
Wm. Wilson
John Wilson
John Winton
James Wilkey
James Wilson
Matthew Wallace
Moses White
John Wasson
Joseph Williams,
John Wood
Joseph White
Thomas Waddle.
FREEMEN:
Robert Anderson, David Alexander, Robert Banefield, James Brown, James
Blair, Gavin Cluggage, James Carsswell, James Coyle, William Gueen,
Alex. Hutchison, Ed. Horkan, John Laird, Alex. McConnell, Samuel
Templeton, Wm. Tayler, James Wilson, James Wallace, Andrew Willabee,
Oliver Wallace, David Wallace - 162.
One of the complications in earlier times, along the southern
portion of the county, was the difficulty which settlers had in
determining whether their possessions were in Pennsylvania or Maryland.
This involved the famous Mason and Dixon's line.
This remarkable line, alluded to by political writers and
speakers through the whole period of our national existence, and even
anterior to it, is named in honor of its surveyors, and marks the
boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Since 1820, when John
Randolph was continually harping on the words "Mason and Dixon's Line",