YorksPast

The Country Estate of Elias Ebert on Eberts Lane

At the top of this illustration, I’ve pointed out, and marked, ten 1860 buildings in the Western Area within what is now Springettsbury Township. At the bottom of the above illustration is a 1937 aerial photo of the same region, were I’ve located the 1860 properties (w31) through (w35). I’ve zoomed in on the 1937 aerial photo to provide better detail in locating the 1860 properties (w36) through (w40).

I’m working my way around Springettsbury Township, normally ten buildings at a time, until all buildings from 1860 are visited. See the post: Springettsbury Township building tally during 1860, for my specification of the four regions.

Other posts in this series include:

• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-24 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 25-31 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 32-35 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-30 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 31-35 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 36-41 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-30 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 31-40 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 41-50 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 51-58 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in West Region of Springettsbury Township As a side note, when properties (w1) through (w10) were first visited, the precise 1860 owners of only two of the properties could be identified. Initial deed searches have now increased that number to seven. The 1860 owners of properties (w1) through (w10) will be posted upon the discovery of the final three.
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-30 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 41-50 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 51-60 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 61-70 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 71-80 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• Buried Treasure in Springettsbury Township

Shearer’s 1860 Map of York County contains the owner/occupant of most buildings; for example (w39) is E. Ebert. Additional information on E. Ebert can be found by consulting the 1860 Census of the United States; where one discovers this is Elias Ebert, a 30-year-old, farmer, with $21,000 in real estate holdings.

The results after consulting 1860 Spring Garden Township census records are shown below. Spring Garden Township 1860 Census records must be used because Springettsbury Township was formed from the northeast part of that township on April 20, 1891. The order of visitation, of the census taker, often provides assistance on who are neighbors and the tabulation of “value of real estate” separates the landowners from the renters or tenants:

One of these 1860 buildings still stands at the following address:

• w39 – 1103 Eberts Lane

The Country Estate of Elias Ebert on Eberts Lane

Elias Ebert (1829-1885) has a write-up on page 188 of the Biographical Sketches within John Gibson’s 1886 History of York County, PA. Some of his descendants provided additional information on Ancestry.com; including the following photo of Elias Ebert. A combined biographical sketch follows using information from both those sources.

Elias Ebert was born October 25, 1829, at the Spring Garden Township farm of his parents Michael and Lydia (Diehl) Ebert. Elias’ father, Col. Michael Ebert, was a farmer in West Manchester Township, and a colonel in the war of 1812, which title he always retained. He came to Spring Garden Township in 1829, and located on the farm now owned and occupied by his son Elias Ebert.

During the 1860 Census, Michael Ebert (1786-1863) is a widower, residing in the household of his son. His wife Lydia (Diehl) Ebert (1799-1858) died two years earlier. Shearer’s 1860 Map shows two dwellings on the E. Ebert estate; Michael might have been in the second dwelling, (w40), possibly his homestead dwelling, since he is recorded as still owning real estate in 1860. It appears that the (w40) dwelling, from 1860, no longer stands.

Elias Ebert married Susan Bott in 1853. They had four children: Albert (1854-1933), Jacob (1856-1856), Annie (1857-1930) and Ida (1860-1920). Elias was a prominent agriculturist; he farmed, kept a dairy, and was a manager of the York County Agricultural Society. Mr. Ebert was also president of the Spring Garden Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Elias Ebert created a direct lane from the City of York to his country estate; it is still known as Eberts Lane.

Elias and Susan Ebert were members of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church. Elias died in 1885 and Susan died in 1901. The next owner of the Ebert farm was Edwin Myers, he named the estate “The Hedges.”

The following 1989 photo of the (w39) building at 1103 Eberts Lane is from the collections of the Springettsbury Township Historic Preservation Committee. This photo shows the north side and west end of the house; facing Eberts Lane.

The oldest part of the house, nearest Eberts Lane, is a 2-1/2 story stone dwelling with slate roof. The windows have shallow stone arches. Interior brick chimneys are at both ends of the original stone dwelling.   It is estimated that the brick additions, to the east end of the house, were added as two parts; approximately during the 1880s.

Grist Mills

Loucks Mill (w33) and Diehl’s Mill (w37) will be explored, in greater detail, in future posts. A question I’ve often heard concerns individuals who own Grist Mills; people will ask “I know he owned a Grist Mill, then why does the Census list him as a Farmer, as opposed to a Miller?” This question is more prevalent in the case of larger Grist Mills. The 1860 Census listing provides two examples why this occurs.

Zachariah and Henry Loucks are farmers who own Loucks Mill; their occupation is listed as ‘Farmer’ in the 1860 U. S. Census. Daniel Craull is the miller that the Loucks’ hired to run their Grist Mill; his occupation is listed as ‘Master Miller.’

Daniel Diehl is the farmer who own Diehl’s Mill; his occupation is listed as ‘Farmer’ in the 1860 U. S. Census. William Thompson is the miller that Diehl hired to run his Grist Mill; his occupation is listed as ‘Miller.’

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