Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-09-11
AN OLD THOROUGnFARE.
wHEs rsx PASrOS AND LASoAsrkR
moan was LATD orr
Ths viewers who HAD Mach Trouble with the
Tssk--some Account Of Those who
Onicinied as the Road Jury.
Changes In Its Route.

history Of the old i,ear tavern of Elizabeth
town, In which reference was made to the
Paxton and Lancaster road. A more ex-
tended notice of this old road may be OF
some interest 10 your readers The dl1cul.
ties 10 surmount, by tho several boards of
viewers, must have been very great-much
greater than any met with IN laying out
other roads in the county. The full history
OF the road clearly indicates trouble along its
entire distance. The Indian town at Conoy
and Paxton, during the first decade in the
history OF the county, directed the route Of
travel of the Indian traders which was very
large from Lancaster to Harris Ferry. This
created a necessity for public highway he.
tween these two important points. Therefore
at August sessions, 1884. petition was pre-
sented to the court at Lancaster, to appoint
viewers to lay ont a public road from Benia-
min Chambers mill in Paxton, thence by
Harris Ferry, % Pineford on the Sirdtdrd,
thence to Lancaster.
The court appointed the following named
persons TO view the same (2) William
Renock, (S) James Armstrong, esq, (4D
Hugh Black, (5) Samuel Smith, 90 Samuel
Scott, % Joshua Lowe.
Nos 3 and 6 declined to serve and the
court at November sessions, l73i, appointed
Henry White in place of No. &, and John
Anderson in place OF No. B.
This jury seems 10 have viewed part of the
road at the upper end. At November ses-
sions, 1886, another petition was presented TO
tho court, stating that former juries hau
neglected their duties and failed to lay out
the road iron, Harris Ferry to Lancaster.
Whereupon the court appointed another set
of viewers, To vii: 90 Andrew Galbraith,
(9) Robert Buehaunan, (l0) Joshua Lowe
(D Gordon Howard, (l2) William kenoCk,
(l3) David McCleur.
AT AUUUST SESSIONS l731.
The viewers made a partial report where.
upon the court directed the following entry
to be made. "Whereas Ivy order of court
sometime past, persons were appointed 10
view and lay out road from John Harris
Ferry, TO the town OF Lancaster, who having
proceeded on the same, from said ferry TO
John Powells, near Conawago, were pre-
vented at the time, by the severity of the
weather from completing the same, and
being represented To the court, that the per-
sons formerly appointed, being most of them
dwelIers in the upper part OF the county,
were not so well acquainted with the land
through which the remainder Of The road is
to be laid out; request that others may he
appointed to continue the same. Whereupon
the court appointed (li) Robert Buchanan,
(l5) Thomas wilkins, (l6) John wilkins,
90 Samuel Scott, (ls) Henry White, (l9)
Herman Long, to lay out and continue the
road from John Po~elfs (tavern) TO Ian
caster.
These viewers failed to perform their duties
to the entire satisfaction of the travelling
public, and at August sessions, ISS, the
court granted review of the road from Con-
awago creek to C20) John Kauffman's IS hilL,
and appointed the following viewers, to wit
CID David McCleur, (22) Arthur Patterson,
(23) William Scott, (2i) John Allison, (25)
James Smith, (26) Josiah Scott, to make
corrections IN the route of the road a. already
laid out, il they saw proper The report of
the proceeding viewers was finally confirmed
at May sessions, l731.
STILL ANOTHER VIEW.
When the road came to DO laid out and
cleared for travel between Harris Ferry and
Pinetord on the Swstara, much of the ground
was found to be soft, and other parts very
hilly. Sam'l Smith and (27 Andrew Stewart
were appointed to view this part of the road.
The new viewers attempted to chan ge the
rOule n. .uf INai % laid out by former juries
over the hills to the river bottom, whic h was
often overiiowed with water from the river
during the sl44ug Hoods, and it ran through
swamps, sc.
At May sessions. l74O, the court ordered
the road back 20 the hills over the old route.
Some years later the road was laid out slong
the foot of the hills, now occupied by the
and Middletown turnpike.
When The principal trsySing gs was dc done oa
eem 10 caro- much Tor hiiss, and they gener-
My selected high ground, which WAS more
likely 10 be dry, for their roads.
ExrLANAToRY FooTNoTEs.
The following footnotes will be ex explanatory
OF the points aud parsons alluded to above:
% Was at or near Middletown.
(2) Resided five miles and three-Iourths
east Of Harris terry.
go Was one OF the Judges of the court and
resided In PaNtang.
(4) Also resided in PaXtang.
90 An Indian trtder and resided along
the route OF this road, about two mics west
county in 1856. lie finally destroyed
Cressap's port and took Capt 4. a prisoner 10
Philadelphia. lie was very active during
Cressap's war ON behalf OF the Pennsyl.
vanians lie moved to Juniata Valley.
(0) Settled at Big Chickies creek where
this road crosses in 1920; kept tavern at that
place from 1880 to l71G when he died. He
left no children. lie left a very large estate
to his nephews, Capt Hugh Pedan and John
Pedan. And also to his brother Josiah Scott
and his children. Capt. Hugh Pedan kept
this tavern for many years. John Guy also
kept il for short time Two years ago it
was Il rn down by Mr.. CARRIER, its present
owner.
"a Resided along the Conestoaa near Mill
ersvllle, Manor township. Was coroner OF
the county for number of years. About
l7iO he purchased the large island opposite
cambridge, in Manchester township, York
county, Ia. W WHlNll l'lhtb no TbnlONbu. l1o
was Quaker
(S) Owned 1arm now owned by Rev. Peter
Nlssley, near ponepal church. lie was one
ot the judges OF the courts from 1880 to l7i6
whom he removed from the county. lie was
also for numh6r of years member of the
legislature. lie was ruling elder In Done
gal church as early as 1920. His first can ass
tor a seat in the legislature, made his wife
famous in history. She rode from farm to
farm in Donegal township, and rallied her
Scotch IRISH friends, who rode on horse back
to the court house in Lancaster marshalled
by her, who harangued them repeatedly
They voted in body for her husband, who
was elected by majority of two votes only.
Inc baltimore Bonepartes, have some OF her
blood in their veins.
go Was sheriff of the county in 1882, and
3i-Ss 40 Capt Cresssp and his retainers
came very near killing him, when over in
GFtst IdHey. York county, on official busi-
ness. He resided in Donegal township about
mile east OF COnoy creek, and south OF this
road.
ND Gordon Howard, ". (2d) Rachel
daughter of Robert Mcfarland who lived
along Little Chick los creek below the present
town of Mount Joy. Mr.. ii. settled where
j. Hershey resides mile west of Spring
Vile IN l720, and owned several hundred
9nres OF land. lie was an Indian trader.
Was county commissioner in 1929 80, 81.
The family was very prominent one, none
OF whom have descendants residing In the
county.
(l3) Resided Just below the Conoy Indian
town, and adJoining the present farm of John
Haldeman in Conoy township. lie married
Margaret daughter of Randall Chambers
lie died in has and lett nine children, sew
efai oi whom moved to Baltimore, Md, and