The "History Of Conestoga Township" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching for an address for one of my stories when I came across a rather interesting bit of information about an area in Lancaster county know as Conestoga Township.  The information was presented by the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County which is located about 10 minutes from my home in Manheim Township.  

A Phamplet telling the history of Conestoga Township

Lancaster County is comprised of the city of Lancaster as well as several townships that surround the city.  One such township is known as Conestoga Township which got its name from the Conestoga River which flows through most of the township.  And...the Conestoga River was named for a local tribe of Native Americans.  At one time, Conestoga was used as a rough designation for what is present day Lancaster County which at one time was part of the older and larger Chester County until 1729 when it became its own county.  

Map of Conestoga Township

Conestoga Township is made up of five communities: Conestoga Centre, Rockhill, Slackwater, Safe Harbor and Colemanville.  Conestoga Centre was surveyed in 1805 by John Kendig Sr. who at the time was the owner of a tavern; and John Dendig Jr. who was a weaver.  A total of 11 families lived in Conestoga Centre.  They were listed by occupation such as weaver, tavern keeper, horse farrier, blacksmith, horse surgeon, laborer and a few with no occupation.  This was needed for taxing purposes.  John Kendig had operated his tavern for 15 years and named his tavern "The Sign of the Conestoga Centre."  It's official address was 3182 Main Street which was the spot where the old Black Bear Tavern was located in 1875 and also operated by John.  Rockhill is a community along the Conestoga River mid-way between Slackwater and Safe Harbor.  Slackwater was surveyed around 1866, and houses were built to accommodate the paper mill workers.  Safe Harbor was laid out in 1846 and building immediately began for the creation of the ironworks there.  Colemanville was formed to house employees of the ironworks there.  Conestoga Township has been reduced in size through the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century.  The most recent reduction in size was created in 1853 when Peaquea Township was created.  That area was at one time known as Conestoga Manor.  

Historical sign telling about Conestoga Centre

Most of the earliest settlers were German or Swiss with a few families being English or Scotch-Irish.  The land and soil in Conestoga Township were mostly farm land which dominated the economy.  Benedict Eshelman was granted 600 acres of land where he built several homesteads in the mid to late 1700s.  At the time there were plenty of mills in operation.  Colemanville was a hotbed for iron manufacturing while Safe Harbor emerged to have its own identity for both commerce and industry during the 19th century.  It was in 1608 that Captain John Smith sailed up the Chesapeake Bay as the head of a contingent from the Jamestown Colony on an exploration voyage.  He headed upstream into the Susquehanna River for about six miles, where he was stopped by the falls that now bear his name.  Captain Smith was more than likely the first to meet the Susquehannock Tribe of Indians and he wrote that they seemed like giants to the English with such great and well-proportioned bodies.  

The Native Americans meeting the new explorers.

Coming from the north in 1616 was Frenchman Etienne Brule who came in the service of the governor of Canada.  He descended "a great river flowing from the country of the Iroquois to the sea," down the Susquehanna River to the Chesapeake, making him the first known European to travel the full length of the river.  Located today in the Susquehanna River are petroglyphs which are early reminders of inhabitants in the area near what today is the Safe Harbor Dam.  This brief history of Conestoga Township is part of a book titled "Historic Conestoga Township, 2004 Architectural History Tour" which is published by the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, 123 North Prince Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17603.  I have been lucky enough to live in this area all my life and just love the history of Lancaster County.  Spent quite a bit of my time since retirement visiting areas of the county that tell the story of the settlement of our great country.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.