History of Lancaster, (Lancaster County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Local History Notes:

LANCASTER, a county in the S. E. part of Pennsylvania, bordering on Maryland, has an area of 950 square miles. Susquehanna river forms its boundary on the S. W., and the Octorara creek on the S.E. It is intersected by Conestoga creek and its branches. The ridge called South mountain, or Conewago hill, extends along the N. W. border; and Mine Ridge traverses the S. E. part. Between these is a broad and fertile limestone valley, the surface of which is undulating, and the soil a rich calcareous loam. The county is well watered, highly cultivated, and densely peopled. In respect to population, it is only inferior to Philadelphia and Alleghany counties; in the value of agricultural productions it is not equalled by any in the state. Grain of various kinds, potatoes, fruit, cattle, horses, and swine are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 1,803,312 bushels of Indian corn; 1,365,111 of wheat; 1,578,321 of oats; 215,277 of potatoes; 96,134 tons of hay, and 1,907,843 pounds of butter. The quantity of oats was the greatest raised in any county of the United States; that of wheat the greatest in any except Monroe county, New York; and that of corn greater than in any other county of the state. There were 191 flour and grist mills, 68 saw mills, 4 iron mines, 54 limekilns, 31 manufactories of farming implements, 37 of cabinet-ware, 26 of coaches, 12 of guns, and 23 of bricks, 5 iron foundries, 11 furnaces, 12 forges, 2 cotton factories, 17 woollen factories, 1 rolling mill, 3 machine shops, 9 potteries, 37 distilleries, and 53 tanneries. It contained 190 churches, 10 newspaper offices, 17,001 pupils attending public schools, and 943 attending academies and other schools. The county contains quarries of blue limestone, suitable for building, and of roofing slate. Marble, chrome, and magnesia, are also found. The creeks furnish abundant motive-power. It is intersected by the Philadelphia and Columbia railroad, and in part by the Lancaster and Harrisburg railroad. Organized in 1729, and named from Lancaster, a county of England. Capital, Lancaster. Population, 98,944.

Biographies:

William Marvel Nevin, educator, was born at Herrons Branch, near Shippensburg, Pa., Feb. 7, 1806; son of John and Martha (McCracken) Nevin. He attended the College of New Jersey and was graduated at Dickinson college in 1827. He was admitted to the bar, but devoted himself to the Study of medicine and finally abandoned both professions for that of teaching. He taught school in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan for several years; was professor of Latin, Greek and belles lettres in Marshall college at Mercersburg, Pa., 1840-53; of the same at Franklin and Marshall college at Lancaster, Pa., 1853-72; of English literature and belles lettres there, 1872-86, and was professor emeritus, 1886-92. He received the degree of LL.D. from Dickinson college in 1881. He was married to Hannah Jane McClay of Shippensburg, and secondly, in 1854, to Mrs. Adelaid (Mellier) Irwin, daughter of Amadie Mellier of Switzerland. He contributed to religious periodicals and is the author of verse and prose. He died in Lancaster, Pa., Feb. 11, 1892.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Andrew Porter, soldier, was born in Lancaster, Pa., July 10, 1820; son of George Bryan Porter . He attended the U.S. Military academy, 1836-37, and and the outbreak of the war with Mexico, was appointed 1st lieutenant of mounted rifles. He was appointed captain, May 15, 1847, and was breveted major for gallantry at Contreras and Cherubusco, and lieutenant-colonel for gallantry at Chapultepec, Sept. 13, 1847. He served in Texas and in the southwest, and in 1861 was ordered to Washington and given command of the 16th U.S. infantry. He commanded a brigade in the 2nd division, McDowell's army, at the battle of Bull Run, and on the disablement of Gen. David Hunter, succeeded to the command of the 2d division. He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, May 17, 1861; was provost-marshal-general for the Army of the Potomac, 1861-62; organized troops at Harrisburg, Pa., in 1862, and in November, 1862, was assigned to a command in Pennsylvania. He was provost-marshal-general of Washinton; was mustered out, April 4, 1864, and resigned his commission, April 20, 1864. He died in Paris, France, Jan. 3, 1872.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Gibson, soldier, was born in Lancaster, Pa., in 1783; son of Col. George Gibson (born 1747), an officer in the American army during the Revolution, who was mortally wounded at the battle of Miami, Nov. 4, 1791, and died Dec. 14, 1791. John Gibson, 1740-1822, officer in the French and Indian war, commander of the Western military department during the latter part of the Revolutionary war, judge of the court of common pleas, major-general of Pennsylvania militia, secretary of the territory of Indiana, 1801-11, and acting governor of the state, 1811-13, was his uncle. George joined the U.S. army as captain May 3, 1808, was made major in 1811 and lieutenant colonel of the 5th infantry in 1812, serving through the war with Great Britain, 1812-14. In 1816 he was made quartermaster general and was with General Jackson in the Florida campaign. In 1818 he was promoted commissary-general, and in 1826 received the brevet of brigadier-general for faithful services. In the Mexican war he was conspicuous for his care of the army, and was brevetted major-general for meritorious con duct. He remained in the commissary department up to the time of his death which occurred at Washington, D.C., Sept. 29, 1861.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Weiss Forney, journalist, was born in Lancaster. Pa., Sept. 30. 1817; the only son of Jacob and Margaret (Weiss) Forney; and maternal grandson of John Weiss of Lancaster, Pa. He was educated in the schools of Lancaster, became a shop-boy in his native town and when eighteen years old entered the office of the Lancaster Journal as an apprentice. In 1837 he became editor and joint owner of the Lancaster Intelligencer and in 1840 he purchased the Journal and published the Intelligencer and Journal, advocating Democratic principles. He was made deputy surveyor of the port of Philadelphia by President Polk in 1845, and removed to that city, selling out his paper and purchasing a half interest in the Pennsylvanian, the leading organ of the Democratic party in the state. His connection with this paper existed till 1853. He was clerk of the U.S. house of representatives during the 32d, 33d and 34th congresses and in the 34th congress was speaker ex officio of the house from Dec. 3, 1855, to Feb. 2, 1856, when Representative N. P. Banks was elected speaker. He was an editor of the Washington Union, 1853-56. He was chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic state central committee daring the political campaign of 1856, and in January, 1857, was a candidate before the state legislature of Pennsylvania for U. S. senator, but was defeated by Simon Cameron. He advocated the principles of popular sovereignty as championed by Senator Douglas and supported the administration of Mr. Buchanan until the introduction of the Lecompton constitution. He established the Press in Philadelphia as an independent Democratic newspaper, Aug. 1, 1857, and supported Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. On Feb. 3, 1860, he was again elected clerk of the U.S. House of representatives to succeed James C. Allen of Illinois and served till the close of the 36th congress. the same year he established in Washington the Sunday Morning Chronicle which was shortly afterward published as a daily. He was secretary of the U.S. senate from July 15, 1861, till June 4, 1868; favored through the Press the impeachment of President Johnson in 1868, and supported Horace Greeley in 1872. He sold the Chronicle in 1870, but continued his connection with the Press until 1877, when he sold the property for $180,000 and established the Progress, a weekly journal. President Grant appointed Colonel Forney collector of the port of Philadelphia in March, 1871, and he held the office for one year. In 1875 he went to Europe as a commissioner to further the interests of the Centennial exposition to be held in Philadelphia in 1876. He supported Gen. W. S. Hancock for president in 1880. He was married to Elizabeth Matilda, daughter of Philip Reitzel of Lancaster, Pa. She died, Oct. 22, 1897, and their oldest son, Philip Reitzel, served honorably through the civil war and died at New Orleans, July 14, 1870; James, the second son. was in 1900 colonel of the U.S. marine corps, and the youngest son, John Wien Forney, Jr., editer and journalist, died at Philadelphia, Pa., May 2, 1893. Mary, the eldest daughter, an artist of distinction, became the wife of Henry Gordon Thunder, a prominent musician and composer of Philadelphia; Anna W., the second daughter, became the wife of George W. Fitler, and Tillie May, a magazine writer and newspaper correspondent, began her career as amanuensis for her father. Colonel Forney's published works include: Letters from Europe (1869); What I Saw in Texas (1872); Anecdotes of Public Men (1873); A Centenia1 Commissioner in Europe (1876); Forty Years in American Journalism (1877); and The New Nobility (1882). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 9, 1881.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor