420 ' AUTHENTIC HISTOPwY 



Jolm Miller, 60, January 19, 1764. John Newcomer, 100; Joseph Nelson, 100; Jacob 

 Wisler, 178; Mary Wright, 119, dated 1767. John Kendrick, 558; James Pratt, 332, 

 1768; Henry Buckley, 150, 1769. William Wright, 257, 1770. Ulrich Rebur, 232; John 

 Manning, 165, 1772. Jacob Ashleman, 340, 1774. Indian Town, 414; Blue Rock, 800 

 :aci'es. We omitted fractions of acres. 



"Thomas Penn estimated the value of Conestogo Manor, being 65 miles from the 

 city of Philadelphia, 13,400, at £40 per hundred acres, £5,360, Pennsylvania cur- 

 rency. There is no date to the paper from which we made the extract." — Sparks' 

 Franldiii, III. 553. 



" The settlement of the Ferrees and Lefevres, received a considerable augmentation 

 about this time. The promising fruitfulness of the country, beside other advantages, 

 attracted settlers; among them are the names of Slaymaker, Witmer, Lightner, Eschel- 

 man, Herr, Hershey, Espenshade, Baer, Grofi', Graaf, Zimmerman, Koenig, Keneagj-, 

 Denlinger, Beck, Soudor, Becker, Ream, and many others. 



A settlement was also commenced in the interior of the county; Hans Graaf located 

 lit the head of a small stream, known by the name of Grove's Run, in AVest Earl town- 

 ship. i He was joined next year by Mr. Wenger, one of whose grand-sons, Josei>h 

 Wenger, occupies the Homestead. 



From and after 1718, settlements, in their incipient stages, had been pretty general 

 throughout 'the greater part of the county. The Mill Creek settlement, and others, 

 were commenced about the year 1710, or 20. 



About the year 1708, Alexander Mack, of Shriesheim, and seven others in Schwarze- 

 nau Germany, met in a religious capacity; from which society, arose, what is well 

 known, the Tuiikers, or First Day German Baptists; and who, though apparently inof- 

 fensive, were made subjects of persecution, and were driven by force of oppression into 

 Holland, some to Creyfels, and the mother church voluntarily removed to Serustervin, 

 in Friesland, and thence emigrated to America, in 1719, and dispersed to different parts 



l-'Hans Graaf fled from Switzerland to Alsace, with one of his brothers, about the year 1695 or 96; he 

 came to Germantown, where he remained for a short time; alterwards settled on Grove's Run, in Earl 

 township, both of which were named in honor of him. The following circumstance, as related to us 

 by one of his lineal descendants, will show the reader how Graaf was led to settle in Graaf 's Thai; for 

 this is the name by which the settlement is known to this day : 



Hisliorses having strayed from I'equea; while in pursuit of them in a northern direction from the 

 inhabited parts, he discovered a tine spring in a heavily timbered spot; tiie liead of Grove's Run. la 

 this elysian dale, said he, will I fix my permanent abode. He nevertheless pursued his horses till he 

 found them, and returned to Pequea. A short time afterwards he made a disposition of his effects. 

 Now he returned to the spring, and about one-half mile down, on the north side, he erected a cabin 

 under a large White Oak tree, in which he, his wife and an only child, stayed all winter. In the spring 

 of the year, having secured by a warrant, dated November 22, 1717, a large tract of land, he erected a 

 house near the cabin. The spot where he erected the house in the spring of 1718, is still pointed out by 

 his progenitors. At this time, as was common with the aborigines in all the new settlements, the In- 

 diansTsalled frequently at his house to sell baskets and Hickory brooms. Mr. Graaf had six sons; as 

 soon as some of them were grown up, he turned his attention to dealing in blankets, and other articles 

 of merchandise, which he procured at Philadelphia, and took them to Harris's Ferry, on the Susque- 

 hanna and exchanged them for skins, furs and the like. 



He spoke it is said, the Indian language fluently. "When one of the sons drove, the old gentleman 

 accompanied him, riding a fine steed, for he kept none but fine horses. On one occasion, as his team 

 was returning to Philadelphia, Peter, the oldest, was driving; in crossing the Brandywine, which was 

 very flush at the time, he was in danger of a watery grave; the father on a lofty steed, rode in, took the 

 young fellow on his own horse behind him, and seizing the lines, drove safely through the rushing 

 stream. 



He had six sons, Peter, David, the grandfather of John Graaf our informant, John, Daniel, Marcus 

 and Samuel, who was known as Graf der Jaeger, the huntsman. 



Hans Graaf, alter having served his day and generation, the public also on several occasions, and 

 having divided his land among his sons, died, leaving a large family connection. Perhaps there is no 

 family in the county, more numerous, respectable and useful citizens than the Graafs. So, without 

 doubt, the magistrates and inabitants of Lancaster county thought, when they mtt to settle upon the 

 bounds and give names to townships, June 9, 1729: they had regard to the worth of this family in calling 

 one of the townships, after the first'settlers Graaf, i. e. Earl township."— iZztpp. 



