262 HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER II. 



Road from Lancaster to Philadelphia ordered to be laid out, &c. — Election 

 excitement, or violent contest — Border frays — Townships erected — Penns- 

 borough and Hopewell, west of the Susquehanna — Hanover — Little 

 Britain — James Ewing born — Contest between the Marylanders and 

 inhabitants of Lancaster — Cressap and his associates attempt to displace 

 the Germans — Is apprehended and imprisoned — Governor Ogle sends 

 messengers to Philadelphia — German settlers seized and carried to Balti- 

 more — The council sends an embassy to Governor Ogle — Mar}'landers 

 break into Lancaster jail — Gennans naturalized — Notes of variety. 



Previous to the erection of the comity, httle or no 

 care had been taken of the high-ways. The first, and 

 leading object of the inhabitants, after townships had 

 been erected and organized by the appointment of 

 the requisite officers, was laying out roads and build- 

 ing bridges where there was necessity. "A petition of 

 the magistrates, grand jury, and other inhabitants of 

 Lancaster county, was presented to the board of coun- 

 cil held at Philadelphia, January 29, 1730 — 1, setting 

 forth that not having the conveniences of any navigable 

 water, for bringing the produce of their labors to Phila- 

 delphia, they are obliged, at a great expense, to transport 

 them by land carriage, which burthen became heavier 

 through the want of suitable roads for carriages to pass. 

 Thgft there are no public roads leading to Philadelphia, 

 yet laid out through their county, and those in Chester 

 county, through which they now pass, are in many 

 places incommodious. And therefore praying that proper 

 persons may be appointed to view and lay out a road for 

 public service, from the town of Lancaster, till it falls in 

 with the high road in the county of Chester, leading to 

 the Ferry of Schuylkill at High street, and that a review 



