In one of the oldest records extant we read of
the "Township of Peshtank, beginning at the
mouth of the Suatarro/' peshtank being an In-
dian word for a small stream. On a map of Lan-
caster County drawn in 1730 we find the Town-
ship of Peshtank, and in the same year, John
Lawrence, of Peshtank, brings suit in the courts.
When in June, 1709, Lieutenant Governor
Evans with his retinue came up into Lancaster
County — then including Dauphin — to visit the
Indian settlement near the Susquehanna, he
spells the name of this Indian village "Peixtan"
in his diary. But as he also writes "Sasque-
hannagh," he can scarcely be considered an au-
thority.
Governor Penn in a letter written in 1730
speaks of the death of a white man near Pextan.
Three years later we find James Magraw writing
13
a letter to Paextan; while John Harris in a
deposition to Council puts it Peixtang, and John
Forster sends in a petition about the "road thru
Pextang."
Almost all the petitions about the roads from
1737 to 1750 give Pextang. In 1756 we read of a
council about Indians in the home of John Har-
ris in Pextany Township; and the year follow-
ing there is a petition about abandoning Fort
Hunter from the "Inhabitants of Pextang."
In 1754 John Harris writes a letter to the Gov-
ernor from Paxton, though he did put "Excuse
blunders" in parentheses after his signature, and
later in the year he sends a petition from the
"Inhabitants of Pextang."
In this same year 1754 we find the call to Par-
son Elder signed by the "Congregation of Pax-
ton"; a deed from Henry Foster et ux and Jo-
seph Kelso et ux to Thomas Kutherford of Pax-
tang; and the deed of the glebe from Henry
Foster et ux to the Congregation of John Elder,
with the "congregation of Paxtang" in the body
of the deed.
Paxton first appears in the Colonial Records
in a deposition to Council in 1744, though on the
church records it is found fully twelve years
earlier. It seems to have been used interchange-
ably with Pextang and Paxtang ; cutting out the
various wierd spellings like Paxtown, Paextan
and Piextang. In 1755 we find Dr. Boude of
Lancaster forwarding a letter from John Elder
of Paxton, and in 1757 Derry sends a petition
against the the "inroads of ye enemy into Pax-
14
ton & Hanover.'^ From the formation of Dauphin
County in 1785 Paxton is used much more fre-
quently. Never once, in any record, however,
appears anything but "The Paxton Boys."
Curiously, many private letters from 1750 to
1780 gives us another change — "Paxting."
According to a great-grandchild of Parson
Elder, no other name but Paxton was ever spoken
or written in the family recollection. The El-
ders, it may be said in passing, came from "Pax-
ton House," Scotland.
Not once, however, from the very first page of
the minutes of Donegal Presbytery in 1732, or in
those of Carlisle Presbytery, has this church
been known as anything but Paxton. With
ecclesiastical authority to back us, we can
calmly let the storm rage. Are we not Scotch-
Irish, therefore, "sot in our way" however critics
and geographers rant. If Presbytery says "Pax-
ton"— Paxton Church of Paxtang Village we will
remain until the end of time.
15
II
THE CHURCH THROUGH
THE YEARS
Page 3
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
In one of the oldest records extant we read of the "Township of Peshtank, beginning at the mouth of the Suatarro/' peshtank being an Indian word for a small stream. On a map of Lancaster County drawn in 1730 we find the Township of Peshtank, and in the same year, John Lawrence, of Peshtank, brings suit in the courts.
When in June, 1709, Lieutenant Governor Evans with his retinue came up into Lancaster County — then including Dauphin — to visit the Indian settlement near the Susquehanna, he spells the name of this Indian village "Peixtan" in his diary. But as he also writes "Sasquehannagh," he can scarcely be considered an authority.
Governor Penn in a letter written in 1730 speaks of the death of a white man near Pextan. Three years later we find James Magraw writing
a letter to Paextan; while John Harris in a deposition to Council puts it Peixtang, and John Forster sends in a petition about the "road thru Pextang."
Almost all the petitions about the roads from 1737 to 1750 give Pextang. In 1756 we read of a council about Indians in the home of John Harris in Pextany Township; and the year following there is a petition about abandoning Fort Hunter from the "Inhabitants of Pextang."
In 1754 John Harris writes a letter to the Governor from Paxton, though he did put "Excuse blunders" in parentheses after his signature, and later in the year he sends a petition from the "Inhabitants of Pextang."
In this same year 1754 we find the call to Parson Elder signed by the "Congregation of Paxton"; a deed from Henry Foster et ux and Joseph Kelso et ux to Thomas Kutherford of Paxtang; and the deed of the glebe from Henry Foster et ux to the Congregation of John Elder, with the "congregation of Paxtang" in the body of the deed.
Paxton first appears in the Colonial Records in a deposition to Council in 1744, though on the church records it is found fully twelve years earlier. It seems to have been used interchangeably with Pextang and Paxtang ; cutting out the various wierd spellings like Paxtown, Paextan and Piextang. In 1755 we find Dr. Boude of Lancaster forwarding a letter from John Elder of Paxton, and in 1757 Derry sends a petition against the the "inroads of ye enemy into Paxton & Hanover.' From the formation of Dauphin County in 1785 Paxton is used much more frequently. Never once, in any record, however, appears anything but "The Paxton Boys."
Curiously, many private letters from 1750 to 1780 gives us another change — "Paxting."
According to a great-grandchild of Parson Elder, no other name but Paxton was ever spoken or written in the family recollection. The Elders, it may be said in passing, came from "Paxton House," Scotland.
Not once, however, from the very first page of the minutes of Donegal Presbytery in 1732, or in those of Carlisle Presbytery, has this church been known as anything but Paxton. With ecclesiastical authority to back us, we can calmly let the storm rage. Are we not Scotch- Irish, therefore, "sot in our way" however critics and geographers rant. If Presbytery says "Paxton"— Paxton Church of Paxtang Village we will remain until the end of time.
THE CHURCH THROUGH THE YEARS