Lebanon Daily News from Lebanon, Pennsylvania • Page 26

The Southeast, Lebanon Daily News, Nov. 9, 1957 i J-1 J- Plenty Of Land he houtheast: HE ALMIGHTY must have been in a most generous mood when He created the garden which is Southeastern Lebanon County. It is truly a blessed land. The nearly 50 square miles comprising Heidelberg and Millcreek Townships and the communities therein, have beauty to rival America's most famous scenic wonders. Miles of sparkling streams wend their lazy ways through bountiful farms.

Graceful willows along the banks enhance the country-calendar scene. The South Mountain looms like a frien'dly making a backdrop for the towns and hamlets, many of which were first settled when the section was a wilderness. -Relics Still Stand Relics of those early years still stand in the Southeast, to the delight of those for whom the past-holds charm. The-saga of old Fort'Zeller, whose history is chronicled in this Salute Edition, stands as a monument to the spirit of the pioneers. There are many other historic buildings and landmarks which you shall discover in these pages: the birthplace of the Evangelical denomination oldest public water works in America, in Sehaefferstown; the furnace at Sheridan; churches where forefathers" of the present inhabitants gathered to 1 worship.

those not so recall the joys of growing up in an era when enter- tainment was home-made and hearty. XThe younger in this age of spec- tator sports, might well envy Grandfather as he nostalgically tells of his youthful adventures. Fox Hunting Flourished Fox hunting, stirred the blood of the young blades of Millcreek Township up until about fifty years ago. On horseback, they would gather at the old Millbach Hotel and then ride in hot pursuit of Sir Reynard. Sunday morning hunts a test of good intentions, and more often than not the silvery call of the hunting horn was more compelling than-- the peal of the church bell.

"Do it yourself" was a way "of living in those daj's. Farmers burned their own lime for plastering and for the fields. Repairing harness, splicing soling a pair of shoes were skills that have along with the sun-to-sun work day. Recalled, too, is Schaefferstown's boat-building industry. It was about a century ago that the flat-bottomed craft were constructed there and then hauled to Myerstown to be launched in the Union Canal.

Baron Stiegel, the famed glassmaker, reportedly taught school in Sehaefferstown, stopping there on his way from the plant at Manheim to Charming Forge Furnace, north of Some say that cannon would be fired at each point of his departure to alert community Land Of Plenty ahead so feasts could be him. Fruitful-. Farms Some of the county's most prolific farms lie in the greerC rolling Southeast. That many have remained in the same families for generations is evidence of the richness of the soil. Up until recent years, practically all of Lebanon County's high leaf tobacco production came from that section.

It is not our intention to re-live past glories, It is, in fact, a combination of the of the pastVthe busy hum of the present and the promise of the. future''that makes-the Southeast such a desirable place in- which to live, work, and rear a family. Industries scattered through the area provide employment thousands. -Businessmen who have find the people to be hardworking and conscientious workers. are being made in education and housing.

Clubs and other organizations have contributed much to the welfare of their communities. The area saluted-in this edition has a population of approximately In addition to Richland and- Newmanstown, these other toAvns and' villages are scattered through the Millcreek: Millbaeh, IVfillbacK Springs, Sheridan, Stricklerstown and Krumstpwn; Heidelberg: Kleinfeltersyille, Reistyille, Buffalo Springs, Flintville, Waldeck, Gravel Hill, Hill, Johnstown, Mohnstown, and Canada. Daily NEWS Photo. RICHLAND BOROUGH COUNCIL Front, left to right: Albert Weaver, president; Monroe M. Klopp, secretary; Paul Troutman, road standing left to right are Councilmen Hiram J.

Bentz, W. Earl Essick, H. Eugene Keller and Herbert M. Klopp. Not shown are Carl Hpttenstein, Dan Culhane and Merrit Marks, Charles Heiswender Jr.

Is Burgess Of Richland DID YOU KNOW The apartment building owned by- the Volunteer Fire Company of Schaefferstown was once generai store, then a cigar factory, leather; factory, arid is now a meeting room. The west side of building has always been a residence. The northern addition was once a shirt factory. Charles Neiswender burgess of Richland; has held that office for -the -past two He anc ais wife and children live on Walnut St. in that community.

Neiswender, a leader in Grace Evangelical and Reformed Church Richland, is preparing for the ministry by taking night course; at Lebanon galley College. He plans, to enter the seminary in about, a He superintendent the Sunday School, teaches thi Men's Bible Class, and, is a membe: of the Richland Council of Church Neiswender is a. clerk in the offices of the E. J. Lavino a Sheridan.

'He and his wife, th former Nancy Kapp of Richlant have two children: Cathy, 8, anc Paul, Neiswender, 29, is a Richlam High School graduate, class 1946. The late Rev. J. Bachman and his son, A. R.

Bachman hay been; the spiritual leaders of th Reformed Church in Schaeffers town for .80 years. The fa the served the, church from 1878 until his. dearth in 1937 and the son ha been serving since. Newmanstown Was Famed For Cigars Newmanstown, the ancient town ituated on- the northeast corner Millcreek Township was formerly known as NewburyJ The tract of land on which the own was built wa-s purchased of the proprietors of Pennsylvania, Oct. 20, 1741 by" Walter Newman, iluch of this tract was trans- erred from father to'son-in the Vewman' family; In 1762 the town oi Newmans- own was laid but by Walter Newman an Irish immigrant, who adopted, or rather originated, the plan of leasing lots on the 'ground lot" plan, the amount of money to be paid yearly forever, so that at one time nearly the whole town was under.

what was called one of the most unpopular systems of taxation ever invented. The proprietors were known for many years as "Der Irishe." The Town In 1844 In 1844 Newmanstown contained 54 houses, two stores, and two taverns, a church, common to Lutheran and Reformed, and a of 455. The proprietors were Peter and Jacob Schock, to whom eight shfl- fngs per annum paid per lot by the holders. The Newmans, the original founders of the town were con sidered quite an extensave as wel as popular family. Known For Cigar-making Cigar, manufacturing was one the leading industries of Newmans town in the latter part of nineteenth century and the begin rung of the twentieth.

Some of the prominent men in the cigar business were; W. Stewart and sons, factory started in 1880; W. Ibach and Frank. Ra der, started in 1895; John H. Wit ter, and at his death in 1923 the business was carried on by hi son Oscar Witter until 1947.

High hand-made, cigars were made by these firms distributed throughout the-United Another industry of- Newmans town was the famous Wallace plows made by EH Wallace sons. Fa moos SOBS Among Newmanstown resident, who became famous was Pro: Lawrence Ibach, an astronome who lor 30 years sent out almanac Doily NEWS Photo. FOUNTAIN PARK is the source of supply for the oldest water works in the U. located in Schaefferstown Fountain Park. The spring is now sheltered by structure examined above by Joanne Beamis- derfer, 10; her sister Janice, 7, and Leroy Mandorf, 10, all of Schaefferstown.

Sehaefferstown Had U. First Public Water Works The first works established in any town or city in tiie Jnited States, was established at Sch aeff ersfown. Ou July 16, 1763, Alexander Sheffer and his wife Anna Engle, deeded, the'lot on the northern of. the now Tower Hill and the spring on the lot to "two residents of the town, George Ulrich and Frederick Albright, as trustees and their successors, for the use of the inhabitants of Market Street in the town of Heidelberg, now Sehaef- ferstown, and their children forever." Jn 1845, by special act of Assembly, a charter was granted to to many firms in United States and also South America and His publications were written in four languages: French, German, Spanish and English. Upon the death of Ibach in 1818, this work of calculating almanacs was carried on-by his son -William who made for Reading until-1914; distinguished citizen of Newmanstown was the late Fred Eck a noted -musician, -leader of the famous" Sheridan Band -of Newmanstown, so -called because through efforts of Nicholas Hunter of Sheridan the band was organized.

the inhabitants of Market under the title, "The Sch aeff ers- Lown Water Company," making it the first chartered public water works in the United States. The Spring which supplies two fountains, one on South Market Street and the other on. the Square in Schaefferstown, with water, has never run dry. Wooden Pipe Water was piped to these fountains through of were unearthed as late as 1932 when the Highway Department constructed the larger bridge on Market Street opposite the. Kea'th property.

The original pipes were replaced by iron pipes about removing all of-the original ones. xxf this pipe is now on display in the Lebanon County Historical Society at Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Lebanon. V. spring has been enclosed in a reservoir 1 preserving the the water. In 'the efforts of the C.

Meyer the hill south of the' spring has been covered with pine trees, thus -insuring a continuous water time time trees were planted-in park area and i a number of these are several hundred years old..