arity in its location to a place of the same name in England. [But more probably derived from the name of the fort, which was supposed to be named in honor of the Duke of Bedford.]

For a considerable time after the town was laid out, the inhabitants had to go upwards of 40 miles to mill. It was then an undertaking that occupied sometimes two weeks, those taking grain having to wait until others before them were accommodated. The first mill was built near the town by an enterprising man named Frederick Naugle, a merchant, doing what was, at that day, called a large business.

For many years Bedford was the principal stopping-place for all persons, and particularly packers going from the east to Fort Pitt. All government stores, as well as groceries and goods of ever description, were for a long time carried west on pack-horses. One man would sometimes have under his control as many as a hundred horses. For the protection of these, guards had always to be supplied, who accompanied them from one fort to another. Bedford always furnished its guards out of that class of the militia in service at the time they were required. These guards travelled with the packers, guarded their encampment at night, and conducted them safely across the Alleghenies to Fort Ligonier, west of Laurel hill.

At the commencement of the revolution, the county of Bedford furnished two companies, who marched to Boston; and although but a frontier county, at a distance from the principal scenes of excitement and points of information, contained as much of the patriotic spirit of the day as could be found anywhere. A meeting was held, composed of farmers and the most substantial citizens, who, entering fully into the spirit of the revolution, passed a number of resolutions, prohibiting the introduction and use of every article of foreign manufacture.

The prominent men of that day who lived at and about Bedford, were Thomas Smith, who held several appointments under the government, and was afterwards a judge of the supreme court, Gen. Arthur St. Clair, who was the first prothonotary of the county, George Woods, county surveyor, under whose instructions the city of Pittsburg was laid out, Thomas Coulter, Col. Davidson, and Thomas Vickroy, who afterwards, in 1783, laid out the city of Pittsburg. He is still living.

Although the inhabitants were from the time of the first settlements constantly on their guard against the Indians, yet the principal troubles commenced at the breaking out of the revolutionary war. A frontier life at that time was one constant scene of strife and danger. Bedford county was at that time the Allegheny frontier, and her inhabitants were, consequently, exposed to the full force of savage fury, and severely did it often fall upon them. The following incidents of those times are well authenticated.

The oldest native of the county living [in 1843] is Wm. Fraser. His father left Fort Cumberland about 1758, and came to the fort at Bedford. He built the first house outside the fort, and Wm. was the first white child born outside the fort. He was born in 1759, and is now about 84 years of age. He was in my office a few days since. He had come about 14 miles that morning, and intended returning home the same day; this he frequently does.

The original white population was composed of Scotch-Irish, and their descendants, constituting the frontier settlers. It is said by one, whose opportunities for accuracy of research, were favorable, "that

he county did not prosper much until 1780, or thereabouts, when the Germans from Franklin, Cumberland, York and Lancaster, began to pour into our fertile vallies and caves. This was not until the Indians had ceased to be a terror to the settlers." The Germans here now own much of the best land, and form a great proportion of the present population.

The religious denominations are Lutheran, German Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopal Methodist, Protestant Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, United Brethren, Evangelical Association, Quaker, Mennonites, Dunkards or German Baptist, Seventh Day Baptist, Church of God or Winebrennerians. The Lutheran, German Reformed and Methodist, are the most numerous.

The cause of popular education had been long much neglected among the people of this county; but of late, an increased attention has been paid to this all important cause, and seems to advance steadily.

The common school system has been adopted in every township except Londonderry, Napier, St. Clair, Southampton and Union. Eighteen districts have adopted it, in which 127 schools are open for about 4 months in the year, employing 127 male and 1 female teacher; 2,770 male and 2,001 female scholars are taught. A district tax of $5,227 63 was raised in 1844; the State appropriation was $4,813 00. Cost of instruction $6,450 51.

Provision for the poor, or paupers, is made in this county. A poorhouse within the town of Bedford has been established within the last 4 years. There is connected with it, a farm of upwards of 600 acres. The average number of poor is between 30 and 40.

HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ADAMS COUNTY.

Adams county organized-Controversy-Extract of Court RecordsGeological features & Geology of-General statistics-Productions; various kinds of, &c.-Synopsis of census of 1840-Streams in th county-Notice of public improvements.

When York county was erected, by an act of Assembly, passed Au gust 19, 4744, it embraced "all and singular the lands lying within

1749 the Province of Pennsylvania, to the westward of the river Susque

hanna, and southward and eastward of the South mountain-bounded northward and westward by a line from the Susquehanna, along the ridge of said South mountain, until intersected the Maryland line, southward by the said Maryland line, and eastward by the said river Susquehanna," then embracing an area of little more than 1400 square

miles.

The ample limits of this old county, were however reduced, but not without some considerable opposition from, and was nothing uncommon at that early period; or at even an earlier period.

As early as 1735 there was a contest between the Marylanders and a number of settlers on the west side of the Susquehanna. One Thomas Cressap, a restless, quarrelsome individual, and some 50 or 60 of kindred spirits with him, resolved upon displacing the first settlers who had located under Pennsylvania titles, and to divide their possessions according to the agrarian laws of Rome-"To distribute the property of the conquered among the victors;" for Cressap, the head of this motly host, had promised his consociates in plunder, 200 acres each. Affrays, as a consequence, were the result. Several lives were lost. [See His. York co].

In the vicinity of McSherrystown, similar affrays occur at the sacrifice of life.

As early as 1790, the subject of a division of the county of York, was agitated, and soon eventuated in a controversy, between the inhabitants of the eastern, or lower end, and the western, and upper end of York county, touching a division of the "Old county" or the organization of a new one, to be taken from the west end. From the nature of the subject, and disposition of those engaged in it, the contro versy grew warm-much zeal was manifested by both the pro and anti new-county-men.-Long and ardent debates ensued-essays, for and against the division, were written, published and industriously circu

lated. Public meetings were called-petitions for, a remonstrance against the erection of a new county were circulated, signers thereto obtained, and presented to the legislature. Finally, however, after much debating, the antagonist party was satisfied and reconciled to the organizing of a new county. The legislature passed an act, January 22, 1800, for dividing Adams county from the western part of York.

These Commissioners, to mark and run the line, were appointed by Thomas McKean, governor of Pennsylvania—these were Jacob Spangler, deputy surveyor of York county, Samuel Sloan, deputy surveyor of Adams county, and Mr. William Waugh.

The separation of the county was agitated, 1790, commissioners had been appointed, namely, James Cunningham, Jonathan Hoge, and James Johnston, to fix upon a site for the county seat; they selected a tract belonging to Garret Vandsdal, in Strabane township between the two roads leading from Hunter's and Gettys' towns to the brick house, including part of said road. In 1791 the subject was a second time agitated. The Revd. Alexander Dobbin and David Moore, senior, were appointed trustees for the county of Adams, with full powers, for them or their survivors, to take assurances of all offers for the payment of money, or the conveyance or transfer of any property, in trust for the use of erecting public buildings in the town of Gettysburg.

The county then contained 2741 taxables. The first court of Quarter Session was held on the second Monday of June 1800. The following are extracts from the Record of Court.

"At a Court of General Quarter Sessions of Peace, opened and held at Gettysburg, for the county of Adams, on the second Monday of June, A. D. 1800, before William Gilleland, John Agnew and William Scott, Esqrs., Associate Judges, &c.

Proclamation being made, the commissions of the judges were severally read from the Books of Records.

Nicholas Gelwick, Esq., High Sheriff for the county of Adams attended, but as there could be no precepts, or processes to him directed at this court, the constables were then called as per list.

Berwick township, Jacob Noel; Mount Pleasant, Joseph Lindsay; Mountjoy, Samuel Adair; Cumberland, Emanuel Ziegler; Heidelberg, Jacob Trine; Hamilton Barr, Henry Ferguson; Reading, Valentine Hollinger*; Straban, Samuel M. Reed; Franklin, Charles Good; Huntingdon, John Wireman; Manallen, Daniel Rice; Tyrone, Nicholas Wertz; Germany, Martin Hoffman.

At a Court of Quarter Sessions, &c., Monday, August 4th, 1800, the following were Grand Jurors, viz: Alexander Russell, Esq., Walter Smith, Esq. John Dickson, Esq. James Brice, George Lasshells, David Scott, Thomas Abbott, Peter Ickes, Robert Doyle, Jacob Wertz, Alexander Cobean, Esq., Henry Kuhn, William Baily, Samuel Russell, sen. Henry Walter, Nicholas Dietrick, Robert Campbell, Jacob Greenamayer, Alexander Irwine, John Lees, William Miller.

The court appointed the following named persons as overseers of the poor of the county, viz:

For Cumberland township, Adam Black and James Sweney; Hamilton Barr, Robert Ray and Thomas Merideth; Liberty, Barnabas Mc

Valentine Hollinger has been constable from 1800 to 1845, till the day of his death.

Sherry and John Adcur; Franklin, Nicholas Peasecker and Charles Shisler; Menallen, John Wright and Henry Petter; Tyrone, William Walker and John Duffield; Huntingdon, John Muntorff and Benjamin Wireman; Reading, Jacob Brugh and John Vance; Berwick, John Null and Peter Marshall; Straban, Robert Graham and John Graft; Mount Pleasant, Nicholas Shiely and Cornelius Lott; Mountjoy, Francis Allison and Jesse McAllister; Germany, Joseph Stealy and Leonard Seitzinger.

Adams county is bounded on the north by Cumberland, east by York, south by the state of Maryland, and west by Franklin. Length 27 miles, breadth 24 miles; area 528 square miles-containing about 338.000 acres. Population in 1800, 13,172; in 1810, 15,152, in 1820, 19,370; 1830, 21,378; 1844, 23,044. The aggregate amount of property toxable, in 1844, was $4,339,531 00.

The geological features of this county are diversified. A belt of limestone passes through the southeast corner from near Hanover in York county, by Littlestown, nearly to the Maryland line, when it comes to a point, being overlapped by the middle secondary red shale and sandstone. This latter formation prevails over the greatest portion of the county, being broken, however, in many places by ridges and dikes of trap rock,which form rough and rocky hills. In the upper portion of the red shale formation, near the base of the South mountain, is a belt of calcareous conglomerate, similar to the famous variegated Potomac marble, which, in some place, would yield blocks susceptible of a fine polish. It occurs in great variety and beauty, near the village of Fairfield or Millerstown. The South mountain, with its protruding ridge, consists chiefly of a hard white sandstone, accompa nied by a variety of curiously altered rocks, highly interesting to the scientific geologist. Native copper, together with the blue and green carbonate of this metal occurs in the South mountain-and epidote, asbestos, zeolite and other minerals are found here. Iron ore occurs in several parts of the county, but is not much used. The soil partaking of the several rock formations is of three kinds. The limestone is in the south-eastern part, and highly improved.

The face and soil of this county is diversified. The soil is principally of three kinds as stated before, partaking of the several rock formations, viz: limestone, red shale, trap or sienctic, also flint, sandstone and gravel. Limestone is principally found in Conewago and Huntingdon townships. Agriculture has been much improved within the last ten years. The broken portions are not well adapted for cultivation. Some of the best, as well as the very worst soil in the state, is to be found in this county. The county contains about 338,000 acres of land; whereof about 20,000 is limestone, very productive and much of it in a high state of cultivation. The other portion is susceptible of improvement; and no doubt will be much improved when the system of farming has reached so near a state of perfection as in some counties of the State. The application of lime as a stimulating, with other manures, and a judicious rotation of crops will conduce much toward the improved of the soil. When lime has been tested, it produced great changes. It is worth from 15 to 20 cents a bushel as a manure. Twenty or twenty-five years ago considerable quantities of bread stuffs, and feed for horses were brought into this, from other counties; but in 1840, there were raised in it upwards of 200,000 bushels of