OF LANCASTER COUNTY, 3(j7 



wild fowls— geese and ducks were in abundance, and sometimes swans. The tirst shad 

 caught here with a seine was somewhere between 17G0 and •(•,.-,, at the eiust end of the 

 river, just below the old ferry course. At the lower fulls a sturgf,m w:i.s once caught 

 in a tish basket. 



The ferry across the Sustiuehanna at this place, appears to have been early s. t up. 

 At first it was necessarily very imperfect. Two large canoes lashrd together were used 

 to take over a wagon, which lirst had to be unloaded. In UoO, it rented for £100 per 

 annum, with the ground allotted to it. Tlie ferry course was a little below the bridge; 

 there was a tolerable road from the old ferry-house to the landing— above that, it was 

 wild and unfrequented— the "point rock" first, and then the well known "Chic.pies 

 rock," rising in solitary grandeur. There was scarcely a foot-path between the rock 

 and the river, and a hunter or fisher might be seen climbing his way along the side of 

 the hill. Strangers used to visit this rock as a great natural curiosity, but Iht-y gene- 

 rally went over the hill, as the path at the shore was nearly impassable. Pine and 

 spruce bushes grew in the crevices of the rock and on the hill. It was a great place for 

 fox hunting. 



The old feiTy-house now occupied by Peter Epley, in Locust street, was built in the 

 early settlement of the place; the large room at the upper end was built long afU-r the 

 other part of the house, by J. Lowden, who kept the ferry for many years. There was 

 a stone kitchen at the lower end, which was pulled away a few years ago, to make room 

 for the brick buildings now there. The barn was across the road, where Ilaldeman's 

 store is. It was burnt by lightning the last day of 8th month, 1709 or '70. 



Sixty years ago the idea of a bridge across the Susquehanna was laughed at. 



The main road up the river went by the door of the Miss Barbers, over the breast 

 of the dam, and into what is now called Second .street, continuing over the Chicques 

 hills. 



Where the row of houses now .stands on Water street, below the turni)ikc, was what 

 was called the bank, where the young people used to congregate for play. On it was 

 a. thicket of bushes, wild plum and mulberry trees, grape vines, strawberries and wild 

 flowers. The school house was where E. Wright and sisters now live. In those days 

 there was no regular school. Strangers were employed without any recommendation, 

 and retained or not, according to their behaviour. 



The main road to Lancaster was to the south of where the turnpike now is. The 

 first-mile stone was about 40 yards north of Friends' meeting-house. The mark was 

 76 miles to Philadelphia; 10 to Lancaster. Up the Shawnee run, as far back as Wm. 

 Todd's tan-yard, was a thicket of trees, wild fruit and fiowcrs. The well known 

 ground-hog spring, coming out of the bank at the south side of the run, was a beautiful 

 shady and sequestered spot, where the children used to have their little i)artii-s. It 

 took its name from its being said that the hole in the bank was made by a ground-hog. 



The stone house now occupied by John L. Wright, was built .souutime between 1740 

 and '50; also, the httle stone mill on Shawnee rtm. They were built by James Wright, 

 father of the present James and Wm. Wright. There was flour made at this mill for 

 the use of Braddock's army: it was packed in small casks made for the purpo.se, 

 and carried on pack-horses. It was taken to what was then called liaystown. There 

 were a few small buildings scattered through the neighborhood, built mostly by iwr- 

 sons who had served a time with the first settlers, as a compensation to them for paying 

 their passage over to this country, they being themselves unable to pay. Many of them 

 had come from Germany. One of the first of this kind of buiklings now stands in the 

 upper end of the town, and is occupied by Peter 3Iays. Adjoining this building, at 

 the end towards the river, stood the first place for public worship in the town. It was 

 a small squared log building ; the logs are now in an outbuilding of Wm. Wright. 

 Robert Barber, now in his 82d year, remembers attending meeting there. Catharine 

 Peyton and Mary Pearley, public ;Friends from Ireland, hold meetings there : they 



