354 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



Elizabeth.— Bounded N. by Lebanon county, N. E. and E. by Clay, S. by Warwick, 

 S. "W. and W. by Penn. Area, 25,521 acres; Population in 1860, 1,005; Taxables, 222; 

 value of Real and Personal Property, $316,187. It contains 5 Grist and 4 Saw Mills, 3 

 Hotels and 5 Common Schools. 



This township was formerly included in Warwick township. Robert Old, one of the 

 earliest iron masters in this part of the county, and great grandfather of G. Dawson 

 Coleman of Lebanon, is said to have named this township in honor of Queen Elizabeth. 

 Surface, hilly; soil, lime-stone, gravel and red shale at the northern boundary. Ham- 

 mer creek traverses the township in a south-easterly direction, and derives its name 

 from the forge hammers erected on it at an early date. This township is divided from 

 Clay by Middle creek, so called from its course which is midway between the Cocalico 

 and Hammer creeks. Hopewell and Speedwell Forges and Elizabeth Furnace are in 

 this township. The P. O. is at Brickersville. 



Elizabetiitown, Borough. — Area, 1,560 acres. Population in 1860, 700; Taxables, 

 310. Value of Real and Personal Property, $113,796. 



Ephrata. — Bounded N. by Clay and W. Cocalico, N. E. by East Cocalico, E. and 

 S. E. by Earl, S. by W. Earl, W. by Warwick. Area, 10,740 acres. Population in 

 1860, 2,237; Taxables, 692; Value of Real and Personal Property, $899,627. It con- 

 tains 8 Grist and 7 Saw Mills, 7 Hotels, 7 Stores and 11 Common Schools. The most 

 important places are Ephrata, New Ephrata, Hahnstown, Hinkletown, New Berlin and 

 Schnadersville. P. O. at Ephrata, Lincoln and Millway. Trout Creek enters the 

 township at the N. boundary, soon flows into Cocalico creek, which traverses the town- 

 ship from N. E. to S. W., and is a tributary of Hammer creek, which forms the 

 western boundary of the township. A small section of its Eastern extremity is watered 

 by Muddy creek, on which is located the village of Hinkletown. The central portion 

 of the township is hilly, Ephrata Ridge being a prominent point where, at an altitude 

 of 1250 feet above tide-water, from an observatory over 60 feet high, a very extensive 

 and beautiful view may be enjoyed. The observatory forms part of the Ephrata Moun- 

 tain Springs, a celebrated and much frequented watering-place, established about 1848, 

 by Joseph Konigmacher, but at the present date (1868) closed. The water, sandstone 

 and slate, is very pure and soft, and varies in temperature from 49° to 52^ Fahrenheit. 



The most interesting feature of Ephrata is its early history, which is given in the 

 subjoined abridged sketch by William M. Fahnestock, M. D., in the Register of Penn- 

 sylvania, Vol. XV, No. 11. 



Ei)hrata, proper, is an irregular enclosed village, lying in a triangle formed by the 

 turnpike, the upper, or old Reading road, and the Cocalico creek, and belongs entirely 

 to the Seventh Day Baptist Society. It contains a Monastery and several other build- 

 ings for the accommodation of the Society; to which is attached and belonging to the 

 same, about one hundred and forty acres of land, and a grist mill and saw mill. The 

 post-oflfice which bears this name, is a half mile from the original village. Ephrata, in 

 former times, was known better among the German population, by the name of 

 Kloster, (Cloister) or Dunkerstown — a nick-name, from the word Dunker or Tunker, 

 corruptions of Taueffer, Baptist. The Society of Ephrata, however, are a distinct 

 sect from the denomination that now bears the name of Bunkers, with whom they 

 have always been confounded. Originally they descended from that division of Chris- 

 tians. About the year 1694, a controver.sy arose in the protestant churches of Ger- 

 many and Holland, in which vigorous attempts were made to reform some of the errors 

 of the church, and with the design of promoting a more practical, vital religion. This 

 party, at the head of which was the pious Spener, ecclesiastical superintendent of the 

 Court of Saxony, was opposed, violently, and after having bestowed upon them, in 

 ridicule, the epithet of Pietists, they were suppressed in their public ministi-ations and 

 lectures, by the Consistory of Wittemberg. Notwithstanding they were prohibited 

 from promulgating, publicly, their views and principles, it led to inquiry among the peo- 



