The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-08-26
THE HARTER FAMILY.

DR.. II. c. Harter read all inter
esting paper at the reunion of the
Harter family a couple of weeks
ago, his subject being, "The Immi-
grafton of the Harters." He said
i'll part:
Coming now to the immigra-
ton of Harters. Nearly all the
Harters have immigrated from Rot
terdam, Holland, the largest city
in Holland; population I36,23o.
The commerce of the country was
one time the most important i'll the
world. The stock to which the
Harters belong is the Teutonic
stock, term now applied to the
high Germans. including the Ger
man inhabitants of upper and mid.
die Germany. The Hollanders are
known i'll history as the most intel
ligent, the most ingenious, the most
skillful and industrial set of people
on earth. From 1852 to 1916 Penn
sylvania was the central point of
immigration from Germany, in 1852
the first settlement took place in
Pennsylvania. The earlier settlers
of Pennsylvania were composed of
Germans, French and Swedes; the
period from 1902 to 1927 marks an
era in the early German immigra-
ton, Between forty and fifty tn cu-
sand left their native country to
immigrate to America.
In 1912 they purchased a large
tract of land from William Penn,
which is now known as Lancaster
county.
From 1885 settlement in Penn
sylvania multiplied rapidly, and
extended over vast regions west Of
the Susquehanna River, (the name
Susquehanna meaning a long and
crooked river.)
Hundreds fell victims to the
hatchet and scalping knife of the
savages, along the Susqueharna
River. Some of our ancestors were
massacred by the Indians, and for
that reason | never had any love
for an Indian. They are treacher-
Gus and never 10 be trusted. My
own experience in New Mexico
proved it 20 me.
So the Germans, Swedes, Dutch
and French formed large portion
of the first settlers of Pennsylvania.
1t is a historical fact that each
generation has had a Martin Har-
ter. Martin Harter No. I, who
immigrated from Holland in April
8, 1906 and bought tract of land
in Northampton county. now Le
high county, died in the year 1900
and is buried in Heidelburg Gene
terry, L,ehigh county. He was nine
ty-four years old.
Martin Harter No. ? moved from
L,ehigh county to Luzerne county
i'll the year 1900 and bought six
hundred and two (6o2) acres of
land, which was decided by Samuel
Mifflin to Martin Harter, of Nesco-
peck, Luzerne county on June "a,
1902 for $I466.6 This Martin
Harter No 2, whom all the Hart
ers spring from i'll this section of
the country. In Lehigh county
there is what is known as the Fens-
termacher House. On this building
is marked 1898, and Andrew Hart
ers name appears marked Sept. "a,
I742, also Martin Harter, Sept. 2I,
1882.
At a meeting of the board of the
Provincial Council held at the Court
House in Philadelphia, Sept. 2I,
1877, 100 Palatines appeared. These
with their families, about four hun
dred persons in all, were imported
from Rotterdam, Germany. The
word "palatine" a name formerly
given to upper and lower Holland,
the word signifies high dignita-
ry, sovereign or higher class Of
Hollander. Rotterdam, then the
largest city In Holland Is a great
commercial center. The population
of Rotterdam at that time was
I36,25o.
In the reign of Queen Anne,
about the year 1909, many Ger
mans came to New York, who
bought tract of land from the
English Government, after they
had lived there for some time,
built houses and improved the
land. Their liberties were inter
fered with aud they were deprived
of part of their land. This aroused
the Germans and they returned
violence for violence to those who
robbed them of their possessions,
but the English Government pun
ished the Germans. This enraged
them and they left New York and |