During the American Revolution, a French aristocrat who held the title “Marquis de La Fayette” joined Washington’s Continental Army in which he served as a major general. Known in America as “Lafayette”, he was a key figure in the Siege of Yorktown that set up the decisive...
Many of the first European settlers of Lancaster County (originally part of Chester County) came to this part of the world to escape religious persecution. Among these were the French Huguenots with names like Feree, Lefevre, and Leman. Others were the Swiss-German anabaptists named Herr, Funk, Bowman,...
I recently had the opportunity to walk around inside the former Stockyards Inn and photograph its interior. The building has a rich history and is going through another transition now that the popular restaurant has closed, and new investors are making plans for its future.
This is the third installment on the topic of the early fur traders that operated in Lancaster County. The first article introduced Jacques LeTort, who with his wife, Anne, and son, James traded on the Schuylkill and later on the Susquehanna. The second article told the story...
This is the second installment on my series about the fur traders that had some connection to the area of Pennsylvania that would later become Lancaster County. These traders were the frontiersman that explored the territory and interacted with the native Americans that inhabited the area...
During the seventeenth century continuing into the eighteenth, the fur trade was big business among the Swedish, Dutch, French, and English traders. Many people wanted to get in on the action. There was intense competition between the governors of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, each wanting...
Henry E. Leman was born in Lancaster on March 8, 1812, the eighth child of Jacob and Catherine Leman. Jacob served with the Pequea Rangers during the Revolutionary War. Jacob’s father, Henry’s grandfather, was Daniel Leman who was a...
November is designated as “Native American Heritage Month”. On Thanksgiving Day, many Americans remember the story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a feast together. Today, some Native Americans observe Thanksgiving Day as...
Adam Reigart, Jr. (1765-1844) was a prominent Lancaster citizen who seems to have been involved in many organizations around the borough/city. He apparently was well respected by his peers because he seems to have been elected president of every new enterprise in the town. His father, Adam Reigart Sr. (1739-1813), was...
