Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Indian Massacre in Lancaster" Story

Foreword: The French and Indian War (1754–63) was a conflict between France and Great Britain that resulted in Britain taking over all French lands in North America. The people of Lancaster, PA, specifically the Scotch-Irish which allegedly are part of my family heritage, suffered from the raids that Indians made on the people of Paxton, Hanover and Donegal townships during the war. These people were determined to get revenge on the Indians ...... any Indians. They happened to pick out the friendly Indians of the Conestoga Tribe who were from Manor township and never were at war with the whites. So, on December 14th, 1763, the Paxton Boys (approximately 60 men from Paxton, Hanover and Donegal) attacked the small and peaceful village of Conestoga, scalping the 6 Indians, including Chief Shaheas who was friendly towards the whites, and burning their huts to the ground. Luckily for the other Conestoga Indians, they were visiting a local iron works, selling baskets and brooms. When the word got to these Indians, they fled to Lancaster to seek protection. The magistrates promised them protection from the Paxton Boys and placed them in the newly erected jail to ensure they would be safe. On the morning of December 27th the murderers made their way to Lancaster, after learning the Indians were there, stormed the jail, over-powdered the guards and killed the remaining 14 Conestoga Indians. With this act of brutality, Indian history essentially came to an end in Lancaster County.

It was an ordinary day. I was waiting in the lobby of the Fulton Opera House for Aaron who is the Managing Director. Every year Aaron has me make altered Polaroid prints of the Fulton Opera House with small plaques to give to the retiring members of the Board of Directors of the Fulton. I am making the delivery of the prints to him today and hope to take a few photos of the interior of the Fulton, specifically the basement walls that were part of the original jail where the Paxton Boys murdered the Conestoga Indians in 1763. In 1852 Lancaster civic leader Christopher Hager hired Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan to build what would be known as Fulton Hall where the old jail had been located. Only the rear wall of the colonial prison was left intact as a tribute to the last of the Conestoga Indians. I am anxious to visit the site in the lower level of the historic building to see for myself the remnants of the jail (also referred to as the City Gaol). I'm slightly over six feet tall and Aaron has a good six inches on me so we both must stoop over as we pass through some of the doors leading to the back of the building. Then there, as we round a final corner, are the walls that were without a doubt the foundation of the jail. Wow, walls at least eighteen inches thick are on either side of an old wooden door. Cast-iron pins protrude from the corners and were more than likely the pins that held the exterior prison doors in place. I touch the walls and can just feel the history of these old walls. Tell you the truth, I was disappointed that that was all there was that remained, but at least there is something that can be seen to remember the disappointment that the community of Lancaster must have felt that fateful day in 1763. Aaron then took me to the third floor of the Fulton so I could view the Indian murals that were painted on five wall panels of the building. These were probably painted directly on the plaster by the Improved Order of Red Men sometime in the mid-1800s. The Red Men dressed as Indians and celebrated Indian traditions. The Red Men Society was founded in Baltimore in 1834 and had an order in Lancaster who met on the third floor of the Fulton and called themselves the Rainmakers Association. I can find no reason why they chose that name. In 1869, on Christmas Day, four Red Men tribes dedicated a wigwam in the third floor area where the paintings appear. The local order of Red Men used this wigwam as a special meeting place until the end of the 1800s. It was reported recently in the Lancaster newspapers that this Indian activity taking place on the same site of the Paxton Boys massacre is disrespectful and the paintings as misguided memorials to the murdered Conestoga Indians. I guess no one will ever know the real reason for the murals, but my trip to the Fulton and the history it holds for Lancaster, was a very interesting success. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Check out the photos from the Fulton