It was an ordinary day. Trying to remember back to late July of this year when newspaper columnist Jack Brubaker, known to just about everyone in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as "The Scribbler," wrote about the origin of Ligalaw Road in East Earl Township. Seems that all he could find at the time were a few newspaper references from the 1850s to a "Ligalaw farm" which was owned at the time by a Mr. William Witman. His farm was on property near Churchtown, PA. Ligalaw Road ran from East Earl into Caernarvon in that vicinity. A few readers responded to the column with one, Mr. William H. Shirk, saying that the road, now known as Ligalaw Road was altered in the late 18th century. Another reader, Mr. Robert E. Simpson, writing in his "Caernarvon Rambler" column in the June of 1934 New Holland Clarion, stated that "liga is Latin for 'law' and that the road was laid out twice and became known as Liga Law Lane. Mr. Simpson was also the co-author of "Annals of the Conestoga Valley" and was an authority on Caernarvon history, thus his work should not be taken lightly. Mr. Shirk remarked that he doesn't believe "liga" actually is Latin for "law." He believes that Robert was guessing, but that he also has no other explanation. Another fellow, Mr. Eugene Kieffer who lives in Gordonville, says that his grandfather lived along Briertown Road all of his life and that the road connects with Ligalaw road in East Earl Township. Lost yet? Eugene said that he asked his grandfather where the name Ligalaw came from and his grandfather told him that a resident whom lived on the road was being arrested and he beat up the officer. He then told a few people that he (licked) the law. Now, this story, thought it might be colorful, may just be all horsepoop. Another character in this story, Mrs. Ginger Shelley of Lancaster Township, a friend of my wife and myself who was, along with her husband Leo, members St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, sent a clipping of an advertisement that appeared in the Belfast News in 1873 to Jack Brubaker. The ad referred to Ligalaw, Bray, Dublin, Ireland. She said that she assumes that Ligalaw is a farm or section of Bray. Perhaps this is the ancestral home of Witman or some other East Earl resident who lived in that area. Perhaps, but that doesn't help the progression along the path to the absolute origin of "Ligalaw Road" any more than those newspaper references to William Witman's farm. So, have we reached a dead end? I'm not sure which way to turn. But...I had fun along the way! Hope I didn't waste your time reading all this nonsense! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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