CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
A HISTORY OF THE
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS IN
PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by
REV. D. H. FOCHT, A.M.
INTRODUCTION
The lands west of the Kittochtinny Hills,
otherwise called the Endless or Blue Mountains, were not purchased
of the Indians of the Six Nations till July, 1754. As early, however, as
1740 or 1741, "one Frederick Star, a German, with two or three of his
countrymen, made some small settlements on Big Juniata, situate about
twenty-five miles from the mouth thereof, and about ten miles north from the Blue
Hills, a place much esteemed by the Indians for some of their best
hunting-ground."*
(*Colonial Records, Vol. V, pp. 441-445)
These small settlements were located on a flat, on the west bank of the
Juniata, and a short distance northwest of Newport; and these Germans were the
first white settlers, of whom we have any account, northwest of the Blue or
North Mountains and west of the Susquehanna. At the urgent request of the
Indians, the Provincial Government removed these Germans in 1742, and forbade
others, "at their highest peril," from settling on those lands.
But notwithstanding the earnest protestation of the Indians and the strict
prohibition of the Government, the example of Star was soon followed by many
others, of Scotch-Irish and German origin, and settlements were commenced on
Juniata River and in Sherman's Valley. In 1750, when Cumberland County was
organized, the Government took decisive measures for the removal of all who had
settled on lands not bought of the Indians. They were all driven to the
east of the North Mountains, their cabins were burnt, and the settlements
destroyed. Not long after, many of them returned to their former places of
improvement in the wilderness. The Provincial Government was strong enough
to drive these squatters out of Sherman's Valley, but by far too weak to keep
them out. The Indians became enraged, and threatened summary
vengeance. Hence, to satisfy all parties and obviate all difficulties, the
purchase of a large tract of land from the Indians was strongly recommended by
Governor Hamilton. In accordance with this recommendation, all the lands
west of the Blue or North Mountains and east of the Alleghany Mountains were
bought of the Indians, at Albany, in July, 1754, for the consideration of four
hundred pounds.
On the 3d of February, 1755, the Land Office was opened for the unrestricted
sale of land in Sherman's Valley and on Juniata River. During 1755, the
applications and grants for land were many, and the influx of settlers from the
eastern counties was great. These pioneer settlers were Scotch-Irish,
Germans and a few English. The new settlements prospered. In the
meantime, most of the Indians west of the Alleghany Mountains, and along the
lakes, were brought under the influence of the French, and both did their utmost
to prevent the westward extension of settlements by the English.
In July, 1755, General Braddock was defeated by the French and Indians at Fort
Duquesne (now Pittsburg), and in a few months after that tragic battle, the
Indians fell upon the defenceless frontier settlers, cruelly and mercilessly
killing, scalping, and abducting them, burning their houses and cabins, and
destroying and wasting everything. Consternation and dismay filled every
heart along the frontier in Pennsylvania. Those who escaped the stroke of
the tomahawk and the keen edge of the scalping-knife, fled to Cumberland Valley,
and other places of safety east of the North Mountain. All the settlements
in Sherman's Valley, and on the Juniata, were deserted, and were for some time
to the whiteman, "the region and shadow of death."
Though peace had been partially made with the Indians in 1758, they still
appeared in marauding parties along the frontier, committing depredations and
murder. Hence, from the fall of 1755 to the latter part of 1761, but
little land was entered at the Land Office. To the surprise of the
pioneers, the Indians then retired, and the number of settlers increased
rapidly, and much land was located in 1762, and the earlier part of
1763. The Indians having, however, in the meantime, secretly
confederated to cut off all the frontier settlements at one fell stroke, invaded
them in 1763, during harvest, and committed the most savage cruelties and wanton
destruction. Such of the people as did not escape were murdered, scalped,
or abducted as prisoners. Sherman's Valley was again deserted. No
land was located in 1764, and the terror of the frontier settlers subsided but
little till Colonel Boquet conquered the Indians in November, 1764, and
compelled them to sue for peace.
After the cessation of the Indian wars, the best lands in Sherman's Valley and
along the Juniata were soon all located and settled, though, as is usual on
frontiers, the population was for some time unstable, fluctuating, and
erratic.
So far as we have been able to find, the first references to churches within the
precincts of Perry County, are the following two. The first, in a warrant
granted Thomas Ross, and others, it is said: "Surveyed, April 17th,
1767. Order dated September 9th, 1766. Thomas Ross, and others, in
trust for the congregation in Tyrone." The old church was, however,
not erected on this parcel of ground in Tyrone Township till 1793, and is now
known as the "Centre Presbyterian Church." The second, in a
warrant granted Nicholas Robison in 1766, it is stated that this land "lies
northwest of the church." The tract of land on which this church
stood, lies in Miller Township, about four miles east of Bloomfield, and is at
present owned by Mr. Abraham Fleurie. With regard to this church, we are
indebted to Colonel John Hartzell, of Newport, for the following information.
"DEAR SIR:
"I had a conversation with Mr. George C. Lees, of Ohio, in regard to the old church at Dick's Gap. He said that he resided in that neighborhood fifty-two years ago, and that the church was at that time already nearly rotted down, only a few of the logs were remaining, and a white oak tree, about fifteen inches across the butt, stood in the inside of the northwest corner of the building. Mr. Lees said that he understood, from what Mr. Enoch Lewis told him (Mr. Lewis was then an old man), that the church had gone into decay more than one hundred years ago. Mr. Lees thinks it was a Roman Catholic church, built by the French."
The above statement we give as we got
it. We do not think it was a Roman Catholic church; the French never held
sway on the east of the Alleghany Mountains. But by whom or for whom it
was built, it is now impossible to say. It was there already in
1766. The foundation-marks of the building may still be seen, about twenty
by eighteen feet in size. The graveyard is quite large, and literally in
the woods, being overgrown by underbrush and some large trees. We noticed
some trees standing apparently in the centre of graves, which we suppose cannot
be less than one hundred years old. We were told that an old Indian path
led through Dick's Gap and close by this place, and that at an early day, white
traders among the Indians were the first buried here, and that probably some are
Indian graves. This statements seems to be corroborated by the fact, that
some apparently old graves are covered by large heaps of large stones, a thing
not practised after the land was settled by the whites. This is an
interesting spot, and the church and graveyard are a mystery. Besides
these two instances, we have not found a single reference to churches in Perry
County till 1790. Nor
need we be surprised at this. The Indian wars had just closed, and order
was about being restored, when we have at least two churches alluded to; but
then soon after this, the revolutionary agitations commenced, and though the
population had considerably increased, many were mustered for the defence of the
western frontiers, and some were enrolled in the Continental army. Many,
also, doubtless, cared little or nothing about churches, and the few who felt
the want of a preached Gospel were scattered, and generally poor.
A large proportion of the early settlers of the territory now embraced in Perry
county were of German origin. The following are a few of those who located
tracts of land, by order from the Land Office: In 1755, John Fautz, in
Fautz's Valley, Greenwood Township; Baltzer Schellhorn, Michael Brocard,
Christian Ewig, John Garner; in 1763, Frederick Weiser, Peter Grove, Matthias
Karr; in 1765, Stophel Muntz; in 1767, John Bigger, John Conrad, James Verderer,
Christopher Mann, John Cirecus; in 1768, Everhart Liedig, Leonard Fautz; in
1772, Frederick Kuhl, Henry Altsbach, George Albrecht (Albright), Martin Waln,
John Licht (Light), Jacob Bock (Buck); in 1773, George Bader, Christopher Heyne,
Jacob Luckenbihl, Abraham Letcha, Augustus Milligsack, John Miller, Morris
Berbeck, Adam Reichart; in 1774, Ludwig Granau, Frederick Hummell, Valentine
Hoffman, Nicholas Littig, Michael Wild, Jacob Wild, Samuel Starr, Joseph Jobson,
John Ord; in 1775, Matthias Blocker, John Kepler, Samuel Lenhart (Leonard); in
1778, Philip Christian; in 1784, Matthias Hart, David Rapp, Adam Stock,
Christian Weirman, John Weirman; in 1785, John Bauer (Bower), Michael Kapp (Capp),
John Capp, Adam Eckert, George Grotz, Peter Hoofnagel, Frederick Harter, John
Long, Christian Leonard (Lenhard), Jacob Nieman, Peter Schreyer, Zach. Spangel,
Jacob Wagner, Michael Winter; in 1786, Henry Bauker, George Albright, John
Trostel, John Fred. Langenberg, James Radman, Samuel Utly, John Flach; in 1787,
Daniel Diehl, Samuel Diehl, Jacob Lupfer, James Motzer, Christopher Schneider;
in 1788, William Delzell; in 1789, John Kepner, Henry Zimmerman. All
these, and many others whose names cannot now be ascertained, entered
lands at the Land Office. The vast majority of Germans, however, bought
lands, and generally the best too, at second-hand from the pioneer Scotch-Irish,
most of whom moved further westward. At first, the Germans settled chiefly
in clusters or neighborhoods, being no doubt drawn together by a strong national
predilection, and the use of a common language. Thus they formed
neighborhoods in Fautz's Valley , on Fishing Creek, at Loysville, at Blain, at
New Germantown, and some other localities. Between them and the
Scotch-Irish, feuds were not uncommon in those early days. Afterwards, the
Germans, possessing themselves of some of the best lands, spread gradually over
the whole of Sherman's Valley, and along the Juniata, and migled freely with
their Scotch-Irish neighbors, so that at this time their descendants constitute
by far the larger part of the population of Perry County, and have, with few
exceptions, relinquished the use of the German language for that of the
English. The Scotch-Irish yielded up his land, and the German his
language.
The majority of these early German settlers were members of the Lutheran Church,
the first Protestant church, now numbering in the world from forty to forty-five
millions of members. In common with their fellow-pioneers, they suffered
all the hardships and misfortunes incident to border life. Like others,
many of them were driven from their homes, fell bleeding and dead under the
murderous tomahawk, were scalped or abducted as prisoners, and subjected to all
the horrors of savage cruelty; some heroically defended their lives, the
frontiers against the incursions of the merciless Indian, and others, in the
revolutionary struggle for freedom, sacrificed their lives on the altar of their
country, and with their blood consecrated the soil to liberty.
In their youth, these Germans had been instructed in the doctrines of the
Christian religion, as set forth in the Catechism of their church. Their
earliest, most hallowed, and enduring recollections were associated with the
house and worship of God. They could not forget Jerusalem, her prayers and
hymns of praise. Trained as they had been in their youth and former homes,
they could not but long for a house of worship, and the ordinances of religion,
and to them cling wherever they were, and respect them as long as they lived;
for the German is characteristically religious. And now, living in a new
and wild border settlement, destitute of the means of grace, they deeply felt
their loss. Their prayer way, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for
the glory of thy name," and the answer was: "The people
which are left of the sword, have found grace in the wilderness."
Tradition informs us that these pioneer Lutherans were occasionally visited by
ministers of their own church as early as 1764, and from authentic records, we
learn that in 1774, they secured the stated ministry of a pastor residing in
their midst. In the results of these early and feeble efforts on the part
of the members, and of the labors of the pioneer ministers, we have in Perry
County the rise and progress of the Lutheran congregations, whose history is
traced in the following pages.
