LANCASTER COUNTY. 3G7 



constancy, his industry, and that indefatigable patience 

 and perseverance, which always enabled him to over- 

 come difficulties.'' A distinguished foreigner, the chevalier 

 de Gessicourt observes, " Steamboats offer such advan- 

 tages to commerce, that England, France and America, 

 with one accord, proclaim the glory of Fulton." — Ba- 

 hiplaine^s Repository, I. p, 201, 223. 



In 1766, Benjamin S. Barton, professor in the 

 University of Pennsylvania, was born at Lancaster, Pa. 

 His mother was the sister of the celebrated David Ritten- 

 hou.se. In 1786, he went to Great Britain and pursued 

 his medical studies at Edinburg and London. He after- 

 wards visited Gottingen, and there obtained the degree of 

 Doctor in Medicine. On his return from Europe in 1789, 

 he established himself as a physician in Philadelphia, 

 and soon, obtained an extensive practice. In the same 

 year he was appointed professor of natural history and 

 botany in the college of Philadelphia. 



On the resignation of Doctor Griffiths, he was appoint- 

 ed professor* of Materia Medica ; and succeeded Doctor 

 Rush in the department of the theory and practice of 

 medicine. He died in 1815. His chief publication is 

 '^ Elements of Zoology and Botany.'' 



1769. This year the Rev. John WoodhuU came to 

 Lancaster Borough, as pastor of the Presbyterian church. 

 He was their first pastor. They preached occasionally 

 in the court house, before WoodhuU came. In 1770 or 

 '71, a meeting house was finished. The leading men 

 among the Presbyterians at that time were E. Shippen, 

 Esq., Dr. R. Boyd, W. White, H. Halen, C. Hall, S. 

 Boyd, W". Montgomery, W. Ross, Judge Yeates, M. San- 

 derson, in the town; W. Davis, T. Davis and John Jacks, 

 in the country. 



