440 HISTORY OF 



lishment of schools for the education of their youth; and at 

 DO time until about the year 1798, Avas there any effort made to 

 support a classical and mathematical school among them. — 

 Their progress however in this respect, on a comparison, will 

 be found to be but little behind even the boasted eflbrts of the 

 colony at Plymouth. They and their descendants have always 

 been justly regarded as among the most intelligent people of 

 Lancaster county. 



The Borough, now the city of Lancaster, as we have seenf 

 was originally founded in 1730. The first lot holders were 

 Quakers and English Protestants ; but before any settled plan, 

 other than the ordinary schools supported by voluntary sub- 

 scription could be adopted by them for the education of youth, 

 German Protestants from the upper and lower Palatinates, 

 holding the doctrines of the Lutheran and German E-eformed 

 Churches, with all their attachments — strong and powerful as 

 they are — emigrated to this flourishing and prosperous town. 

 Entering at once upon the business of life as Tradesmen and 

 Mechanics they labored with all the indomitable perseverance 

 of the Saxon character, until by an increase of numbers from 

 additional emigrations and the accumulation of a little wealth, 

 tliey weie enabled to build a Lutheran and also a German 

 Reformed church for the accommodation of themselves and 

 those holding the doctrines of these respective churches. The 

 first great duty with these people, was the erection and dedi- 

 cation of Plouses of Worship to Almighty God. The next^ was 

 to supply them with those who should minister to their spiritual 

 wants in holy things ; and the third but co-equal duty with the 

 latter, vv'as to secure the services of a competent School-mas- 

 ter, to instruct their children in the elements of a good German 

 education. 



At no part of this History better than the present, can it 

 with greater propriety be observed, that almost co-existent 

 with the establishment of the first Lutheran churches in Ger- 

 many and of the Reformed churches in Switzerland and Hol- 

 land, there sprang up a custom among their members peculiar 

 to themselves. Each congregation was regarded as a spiritual 

 pQunicipal corporation, and among other duties performed by 

 those having its contrpul or government, in order that "the 



tPag»242antca. I 



