OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 363 



soil, limcbtone. Pop. in 1860, 3,108; Taxables, 880; value of Heal and Por^onal 

 Property, $1,184,123. It contains 7 Grist and 3 Saw Mills, 3 Furnaces, i; Hotels G 

 Stores and 13 Common Schools. The Bis Chiquesalun-a is the Northwestern bound- 

 ary of the township, and tlows into the Susquehanna at the X. \V. extremity. P. O. 

 at Columbia, Mountvllle and Silver Spring. The most important place is Coi.rMiUA. 

 an incorporated borough, (in 1814) with an area of 820 acre.s. a population (in 18G0) of 

 5,007; Taxables, 1,144: assessed value of Heal and Personal Property, |7G2,813. Tlio 

 subjoined two independent accounts of the early history of Columbia are extracted 

 from Hazard's Register: 



A brief statement of facts relating to the lirst settlement of C()luml>ia, Lan< aster 

 county, Pennsylvania, by Arthur B. Bradford, who says, in his letter accompanying the 

 communication, that "the facts were gathered chiefly from a manuscript journal, be- 

 longing to the great grand-daughter of Robert Barber, the first settler." 



Recollections of the First Settlement of Columbia, Lancaster County, Pa. : About the 

 year 1726-7, Robert Barber of Chester, came to this place, and took up (as it was then 

 called) 1,000 acres of land on the river Susquehaima, (purchased I think from Jere- 

 miah Langhorne, the agent of the proprietor,) bounded north by Chiques hill, S. E. by 

 what was afterwards called Patton's hill. The journey from Che.ster in those days 

 was thought a very great undertaking, the country being uninhabited by any except 

 Indians, whose wigwams were scattered promiscuously. In the following year, (1728), 

 three farmers, actuated by a laudable spirit of adventure, 'came from Chester to make 

 their homes in the wilderness. Samuel Blunston, the richest of the three, i)urchased 

 500 acres of the land taken up by R. Barber, next the North Hill: he built on the rising 

 ground occupied at present by Samuel Heise. The house was tt)rn down a few years 

 since, to make room for the building which now stands on the spot. John Wright 

 took the middle part (aboiit 200 acres;) he Iniilt where Misses E. and A. "VV right now 

 reside, (2d st. opposite the Catholic chapel.) The house has been much altered and 

 repaired, but the greater part of it is still the same ho built. He came from Manches- 

 ter, England, among the early settlers in 1714; was a preacher in the Friends' Society; 

 and was judge of the county court for many years. Robert Barber retainid the re- 

 maining 300 acres next the lower hill — he came from Yorkshire, England — he followed 

 the sea for many years, and had been a prisoner in France. He built the brick house 

 now occupied by John Ilinkle— he was sheriff of the county, and it wa,s intended the 

 seat of justice should have been here, in consequence of which he built a prison near 

 his house — a strong log building, which was pulled down not many years since. James, 

 aftenvards Sir James Annesley, was once confined there, luu-iiig nm away from his 

 master, (his story is well known.) R. Barber had a son bearing his own name, who built a 

 house which has gone. There were no pine ]K)ards for architectin-e as at the present day, 

 the joists, and window and door frames were madeof oak; whatlittlepine wasinit, wasolv 

 tained from logs found in the river, and sawed at a mill on Stricklcr's Run, owne<l by Na- 

 thaniel Barber. There was also a fulling-mill on the same stream owned by S. Barl)er. 

 The land back from the river was settled principally by (iennans: Foiry's. Stricklcr's, 

 Sherrick's, Guber's, &c. Their first purchase was from an old woman named Maiy 

 Ditcher, who used to go through the country making what was then called improre- 

 ments—a few sticks piled together, a lire kindled, and a pot hung over it. I'onstitutcd a 

 first right. Those who could pay for the land liad first choice, but these improvements 

 were generally bought for a trifle by those able to pay for the lands. This old Mary 

 Ditcher seems to have been rather a singular jjersonage. She is described as wander- 

 ing through the wood.s, leading an old horse, her only property, with ln^ knitting in 

 her hand, and clad in a garment chiefly of sheepskin. This was called Hempfield town- 

 ship, from the great quantity of hemp raised there. The townshi]) below was called 

 Manor, from lands resei-ved by the proprietors, and called in imitation of the Engli.sh 

 custom, the Proprietor's Manor. The settlers adjoining were Irish families named 



