It was an ordinary day. Reading a story in my Sunday LNP Lancaster Online newspaper when I came across a story titled "Greetings from Lancaster County." The story on the front page of the newspaper was to tell those that read the newspaper "What's In A Name?" The story was to shed light on how places in Lancaster County got their monikers. Some are interesting, some are unbelievable and some are just plain dumb! See if you don't agree with me! PS - All locations are in alphabetical order....
BOROUGHS...
Adamstown...Adamstown dates back to the early to mid-18th century when Williams Addams traveled to the area. He found the place to his liking so he built a grist mill and home for he and his wife. Adamstown didn't become a true community until 1761, when 57 lots were designated for a town to flourish.
Akron...In 2019 a feature story in the newspaper stated that Akron was at one time named New Berlin supposedly because many of its settlers call back to prior lives in the German city. Nearby was a railroad and mill named Akron - due to its more broad use. Akron became the adopted name of New Berlin.
Christiana...A borough named in the 19 century after the WIFE of William Noble, an early settler who was a blacksmith. The entrance sign to the borough incorrectly attributed the borough's name to a Christian Noble, making it seem like a man was its namesake. It was actually named after Christiana Noble
Columbia...It was first named Wright's Ferry after the community's founder, John Wright who operated a ferry across the Susquehanna River in the 18th century. Columbia was later chosen after Christopher Columbus.
Denver...Denver was first named Bucher Thal which commemorated its first settler, Hans Bucher. It was then named Union Station after the local railroad station. But, settlers got tired of being named after a train. Settlers saw there was only one Denver in Colorado, so they named their locale Denver.
East Petersburg...The origin's name was unclear since there never was a West Petersburg in Lancaster County. East wasn't added to the name until 1880. Before that time it was known as East Hempfield. Some suggest it was so named since it was east of Petersburg. Others suggest it was so named as a compromise between East Hempfield and Petersburg.
Elizabethtown...Barnabas Hughes takes credit for founding Elizabethtown after taking over a local tavern and encouraging town growth in the mid-to-late 1700s. But, no one wanted to live in a town named Barnabasville. It was finally named after his wife Elizabeth.
Ephrata...This town has religious origins, considering it is best known for its 18th-century community of religious celibates. Ephrath, a biblical name, means "fertility" in Hebrew.
Lititz...Much like Ephrata, Lititz also was founded on religious intent...but by the Moravian Church. In the 15th century, the Moravian village of Lidice was a place of refuge for persecuted Moravians. About 300 years later Count Zizendorf, a leader of the Moravian Church who traveled searching for a place to begin a religious community, named Lititz in commemoration.
Manheim...This town was named after the birthplace of its founder, Henry William Stiegel - Manheim, Germany. History books note the city for its 1689 seizure by French forces during the Nine Years' War.
Marietta...Borough named after two women, Mary and Henrietta. However, whether if they were a pair of sisters or wives of settlers is unclear.
Millersville...Lancaster county has quite a few residents with the last name of Miller. Perhaps Millersville was named in tribute to all the Millers or maybe it was named after a specific Miller who founded the community in 1761 when he was in search of a new, open spot to begin his own storefront after working for Steinman Hardware Store in Lancaster. He and his son traveled to what is now the Penn Manor area and set up shop.
Mount Joy...There are no mountains in Mount Joy, but there once were many Scottish immigrants. The community's name draws from an Irish ship named the Mountjoy. In 1689, the ship was revered for knocking down a blockade and delivering food to Scots imprisioned inside the city of Londonderry, after it fell to the Jacobite army. In following years, many Scots emigrated to North America and settled in the Donegal area.
Mountville...This community was known as Mount Pleasant at it's founding in the early 1800s. When a post office was established, the community took on the name of the already established railroad: Mountville.
New Holland...Change can be a good thing...since the town had thoughts of naming it Saeue Schwamm which is a German name for hog swamp. Then, for a short period in the 1700s, they called it Earltown until 1750 when residents tried out a third name: New Design. Over time, the name changed to pay homage to Holland, the place where many residents' ancestors found sanctuary during the Thirty Years' War.
Quarryville...This borough was named for it's productive lime quarries.
Strasburg...The name originally was settled on by French immigrants drawn to the area after Pierre Bezaillion, a fur trader, traveled to the area in 1693. In the 18th century, the town was named after the city of Strasbourg, France.
Terre Hill...This hillside community originally was named Fairville for its picturesque views of the surrounding region. In 1848, a post office was established in the town, only to discover that Fairville was already claimed by a Chester County town. It's believed the postmaster at the time, Simon Klausner, suggested combining the French word "terre," which means land with "hill."
Have you found a few interesting names in the above towns? Each town is somewhat different, but in the end, they all surround the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
No comments:
Post a Comment