Southern York County Life

Historical Society hits grand slam

The Stewartstown Historical Society’s June 27 meeting was really a grand slam homer because everything came off so superbly. The ladies in the audience were resplendent in their 1851 period finery. Most of the gentlemen were Brothers of the Brush sporting their requisite facial hair. Add to that the lemonade and cookies lending just the right touch to an evening devoted to history.

Speaker Ron Hershner was superlative in taking his audience back to the days and ways of Benedict Meade, the area’s early inn and tavern keeper. He drew on the research that he had done originally for his thesis to show how the lands we know as the Barrens were originally considered part of Virginia and later claimed by Maryland. The survey done by Mason and Dixon in the 1760’s helped settle the disputes, and the lands were finally recognized as belonging to Pennsylvania.

Unlike some of the other colonies, William Penn required that title to land be obtained from the Indians before he would permit settlers to move in. Such title for lands west of the Susquehanna River was not obtained until 1836, so settlement of the Barrens did not take place until after that date. Early settlers in the Chanceford’s and Hopewell’s were primarily Scotch-Irish and, therefore, Presbyterians. Germans, for the most part, occupied the northern parts of what is now York County.

Mr. Hershner was anxious to dispel four myths about the early years that have gained prominence. The first myth is that the local areas were self-sufficient, consumed what they produced, and made all their necessities. Such was not the case. The major crop was wheat, and enough was produced, even in the 1750’s and 1760’s, that much was shipped east to the seaboard cities and even to Europe. It was a cash crop and produced money with which to buy necessities such as glass, cloth, and furniture.

The second myth is that there was a classical society at that time where everyone was of equal stature, each with his own horse and cow and plow. Such was not the case. It was a very capitalistic society with everyone trying to make a buck--or shilling, as the case might be.

The third myth is that there were major non-resident land speculators, in London and elsewhere. There was land speculation, but it was done by the locals. Land was used to pay off debts when money was in short supply, and was traded and sold with the expectation that it would increase in value.

The fourth myth is that the German settlers were better farmers than the Scotch Irish. The truth was that in the 18th century, they were ALL bad farmers. By a quirk of fate, most of the Germans had arrived in Philadelphia, came across through Lancaster County, and settled in the limestone valley areas in the north of the county. The soil there produced better yields. The Scotch Irish came in through New Castle into the southern end of the county with its rocky, barren soil and did not produce the same quality of crops. In the 19th century, both the Germans and the Scotch Irish improved their farming practices and had more productive farms.

Society president Mary Sue Shaw presented Hershner with one of the Society’s very successful coloring books, which depicts many of the items covered in his address, and promised him an early edition of the Society’s new pictorial history book of the borough, Stewartstown, Then and Now, which is now at the printers. She also announced that the Society would be sponsoring a bus trip to Doylestown and Mercer’s Mile in October.

The Stewartstown Historical Society at 6 N. Main Street is open each Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. and will be open daily during the Sesquicentennial Celebration from July 21 through July 28.

Source: Stewartstown Historical Society (we obtain permission for external material)
Posted by Tom Keesey on 06/29/2001 at 03:26 PM in History

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