Red Lion Area High School - Lion Yearbook (Red Lion, PA)

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RED LIIJN Centennial gl ii!!- M nlmm . Vll n z E 'Bao-1980 f w' ,f 'K 1 'xx , xbr- fir Wx N ' lf' il' ln m lx?-Fktxxl-'tl il Q 1 ..' Q. ' Jiv e- mt V-X: K Y! M- . X F .x twbcrfi X o B X X X M fam an D T- e ' f 'XQ XQ X '? ', ' if 'i' f 13 - .H Qxx A l or Ile 'f u V gfyx lux .N . Q . Q -P 2 , Ay Q15 f --Q ,Q ' :tx 0 ' I X Il- Nr L Cgfmbnl-hun yt-r 4 . N XQXXXN ' D. SMALL lx VVVVAGNER Qfi c' l 'f 'P' V r, .gii 'X 8 15.1 1 .' ,, '-51 Q .- HF l ' is 9 -- Q me 1 a e 'ff H2 , .. .. f Q, gn , ' ,. V! 0 , 3 f i D 'xt 'S 4 l n n f l 1 f A , , ,....?. g i my 1 , ' 117'-'lr 4, V li- I .li rs lx.: V' X 5 Q Q -. I 5 ' it . A of' l 1 ee . .JI li - 4,,. L x 'Syl Q we YJ ex! ko 5 N qx r h ' ' x .frsf .. . 9' --Q I Y , I I ' 1 h-u x Jr ., . l ' , 1. I , k R . N 'KWH' -.- .K .rl 3 , 'Unger ':',.,p.. -' M ,i'l2ea, w. . ., . 4, Q J nv. M V W if ,,. lg' 1 ,, ' 6 BUQQNQ .5 xv a iifffntfgf lx ' :H 9 4+ A ii . - me 'A pw 1441, 0 'Last l ' li Q 5 1 . In , M, 4-A .1 - V gk ff. I M M M f . , X ef,,,- . rf. X 1' f 0 B ., m e , :Qtr . 3 if Q.:-A I sv lv 3 5 I, H V Ebgtx -- ,V - -.. a ip, ' 5 i 5 e -. qwxv. lx vo , E lvl, 1' X S,, Diqn ' h V5 .QTL 5 '.:T?.-Iwiia f -,Nun 'lx -t ,L- 1 o , ,I 'qu ': .u ffgw- of !QN,..0-ff ' 'XQXS ali. ,T ff ro, X i, a aw ' ffl ' ' 9? l N'-7 .A fha D ' mytiqle, X will f ill' X , . , r' 0 t ' i :A ' swell 2. wg -. X ' S: N XXX V - if . l l Q x ' f ' .ll - .. 1-,fi .e ' of x 'fx X X Q. J f' .. j X .- 1 . ulmnn gN'lh.M Q? I' V-A 'Q If- 1 yi A 5 .J U, A .V Q 0 ff v. N Lain-q.e:l.' 4 F V . S gt.-r J 9'-' l A Q tm If gg 4. Q . , - 1, it t M l an ee A - l JA -I. X51 X 4 K 1' X K X v I , -1- f 'X R- 431 E V 41. ' ' 0+ 1 . L S R 4 U, ii : , 'I W' N 'xx JZ ax 5:- ,, I3 - Sb. ...-, ,..NVh. ' varh' xl f l X X 7. . 'l J ' 1- - q.,.,mqa, - - Q X Portion of the map of York and Adams Counties, published in 1821 by D. Small ang W. Wagner. This is nearly a duplicate of the map of 1816 mentioned in the text, which does not reproduce well. The dotted line going throu h the Red Lion area runs along Main Street. The First One Hundred Years 8

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RED LIUN Centennial Q- n O E HUNDRED S... . . . not a long time for a community in the eastern part of our country to have been incorporated. We are youngsters when compared to York, our county seat, as well as many other communities in the area. Yet, we have made our presence felt in our county, our state, and our country. Probably the reason Red Lion did not develop sooner is its topography and soil. Our land was not well suited for farming. The very early settlers of York County must have just about ignored it. Only in the small valleys on the outskirts of town can there be found evidence of settlement in the earliest days of the county. There were only a few usquatters' in York County prior to 1736. It was not until that year that settling in York County was permitted by agreement between the Penn family and the Indians. On October 11, 1736, a deed was executed between chiefs of the Onondagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Oneidas and Tuscaroroes and John, Thomas and Richard Penn, conveying to the said Pro- prietaries of Pennsylvania all the said river Susque- hanna, with the lands lying on both sides thereof, to ex- tend eastwardly as far as the head of the branches or springs which run unto the said Susquehanna and all lands lying on the west side of the said river to the setting of the sun . The early settlers - English Quakers, Germans, Swiss and Scotch-lrish - moved quickly into the newly- opened land. Areas such as Kreutz Creek and Cono- jeohla Valley developed rapidly. By 1741 the city of York was laid out, and by 1749 the new area won a petition to become separated from its parent county, Lancaster. The new county was named after Yorkshire, England. In that year there were already about 6,000 people living in the county. York Township was formed in 1753, and reduced in size by the formation of Windsor Township in 1759, and Spring Garden in 1822. According to a census ordered by the County Commissioners in 1783, there were 128 houses and a population of 893 people in York Township. Windsor Township had 1,118 inhabitants and 184 houses at that time. It is doubtful that there were more than a handful of people in our area in the early days of the county. It isn't, until the 1760's that evidence indicates settlement in the immediate area of Red Lion. Most likely the very first settlers located in the better farm lands in the valleys around the high land of Red Lion. Early land surveys on record at the York County Historic Society and other places show some of these early land owners. Due to the efforts of the late Gerald Smeltzer, formerly of Windsor, and Carl Reichard, of Seven Valleys, we can see the lands owned by these early inhabitants of our area lpage 101. EARLY WAGON ROADS On the ground where Red Lion's square is located today, the early McCall's Ferry to York Road that ran from Peach Bottom to Longstown, and the Baltimore to Wrightsville Road united and ran over present North Main Street until they parted again at what is now the Prospect StreetfNorth Main Street intersection. These early wagon roads were first Indian trails, later traders' routes, then highways. There were taverns at these intersections. A map of York County in 1816 shows a Crosby's Ta. at the northern junction of these roads, and a Baker's Ta. at the southern intersection. The only earlier bit of informa- tion is the name Hunter's shown on 1759 and 1770 maps of the county. According to the hills and streams indicated on the maps, this tavern fit most likely was a tavernl was located near the northern end of Red Lion. In 1833, confirmation of a road leading from Shen- berger's Tavern to Fisher's Road was handed down by the January Session of Court at York. Shenberger tHenryl owned the tavern located at Red Lion's square, now occupied by Amspacher 8: Mellinger Amoco Ser- vice. This later became the Caslow lnn, and the first Wallick House. Fisher Road is now Pleasant Avenue in Dallastown. The road, of course, is now West Broadway, or part of present-day Route 74. RED LION TAVERN The most complete early history of any one part of Red Lion is that of the land of the Red Lion Tavern from which the town was named. This is made possible for the most part because descendants of the early tavern owners maintained an ongoing story about their family, passed down through the generations. In addition, the land of the tavern is one of the very few parcels in town that can be traced back through recorded deeds, tax records and maps. The First One Hundred Years

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RED LION Centennial Q- n 'lf-S -F ' A -7'-'TT-'I' 7:7------......, . ,,,,, fs-v-.--.- .. .ng--k..:,...,,,,'-Mv1.:l' r r--' -- - .ss .gr-. T' f it his .V-.al I T-IY..:-.:ii-'Tk1fE'5?fTf4- . Q I,-:gil V-T '.:Z'-i1..':-TF f an '- ' , -'- ------- , .- . .- . ,YN l ' 4 an nn,, -- ,, , . W5 1-gl 1.5.5. .,lF 1- if lilillu wg.-. 1 '- 1' fi 'F . ---1:-fra--'21,-as-r. A15-endif --.-..'.j:'JL5, ' f' ,JF -i J ' -., ' '3 ' ' - 'F hm A Ea.-.HQ 1: 'l , EQIAYMUA? . --1. . . ,' - lr ' 'F-' M: - SL , 33,0 F . ,uf .nn--X 2-A .C ::,, V ' ' X' wxrf-. , ., ',.,.' ' J SQA' ' V-u' Vt.--5-j'1',L.f -- Qg, faqs-r ,ng U qfvlf an ,, -- --- A -- ' 1- --- 4... w. ,, . U',,,Qg,pQ-.-:'. Red Llon Tavem as it may have looked. Drawing by Glen K. Reichard, York. House surrounding the tavern today. James and Sarah Crosby moved into the Red Lion area around 1785. Their first land holdings and most of their subsequent holdings lup to 330 acresl were just east of Red Lion, near the Peach Bottom Road. They farmed the land, and operated a tavern they called the Plantation Inn. ln 1802, James Crosby died, leaving instructions in his recorded will that his land holdings were to be sold and distributed among his wife and children. Within 2 years, his wife purchased a 2V2 acre plot at the inter- section of the Freysville Road KE. Prospect Streetl and North Main Street ithen part of the Peach Bottom Roadi. She was a licensed tavern operator in 1804, so either a tavern was already at the intersection at that time, or she had one built. Sarah Crosby died in 1826, and operation of the tavern was taken over by her daughter, Mary, and her son-in-law, W. Jacob Nicholas. According to the family story, it was this young couple who named the tavern Red Lion , after a tavern owned by his family in England. The earliest York County history mentioning Red Lion, written by John Gibson and published in 1886, stated that The Red Lion Tavern was a characteristic old-time public inn, with the picture of a lion painted red in front of the house. Tradition says that the lion was not a voracious one that scared away thirsty visitors, but a mild, peaceful sort of fellow, with an in- viting look . George R. Prowell, writing in 1901, gave this ac- count of Red Lion in his extensive history of York County: The land upon which this borough is built was originally a part of both York and Windsor Townships. This land was first purchased from the heirs of William Penn by one of the earliest settlers west of the Susque- hanna . lCould this have been the Hunter on the old maps?J Red Lion was the name of a public inn which stood within the present limits of the borough as early as 1840. lNicholas ran the tavern from 1826 through 1841.1 On a swinging sign in front of the hotel was a lion painted red and hence the origin of the name. This old time hostelry was a prominent stopping place for wagoners over the public road from Wrightsville and the Susquehanna across York County and the state of Maryland to the city of Baltimore. The tavern was later operated by a Jacob Hake who last had a tavern license in 1863. The building was used only as a private residence since that time. lt stands at 271 North Main Street, and is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Randy L. Howard. Extensive remodeling through the years has kept the building in good condi- tion. Only its foundation and log walls fcovered by wood sidingl remain of the original building. FAMILY NAMES THROUGH MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES Several family names of people living in Red Lion to- day are shown on the map of Red Lion lpage 101 as hav- ing owned land in the area in the middle through late 1700's. Some of them are: Young, Shenberger, Schmuck, Miller, Norris, Neff, Lentz, Sheffer, Keener, and Nicholas. THE NEFF FAMILY Of these family names, one can be traced to have lived in and around Red Lion for up to 9 generations - the Neff family. Although a thorough research into this family could not be done in time for the printing of this book, information from the Historical Society of York County, the York County Recorder of Deeds Office, and assistance from the Neff family and others, enabled put- ting together the following information: The First One Hundred Years