Part II: The origin of ‘Peach Bottom’ is unknown, but its name is everywhere in southeastern York County
Students walks around an African-American Cemetery in Peach Bottom Township in York County’s southeastern corner on a cleanup mission. Also of interest: Photographer tramps to far reaches of York County and Were the Welsh quarrymen from York County, Pa.’s, Delta-Peach Bottom region big readers? and About Delta, Pa., VFW post’s name: ‘The story of John S. Murphy is representative of the cost’ and Part I: The origin of Peach Bottom is unknown, but its name is everywhere in southeastern York County
A recent post explored the origin of Peach Bottom, as in the township, the submerged town and the defunct railroad in the Delta area of southeastern York County.
The authors of “The River and the Ridge” traced the name back to 1737.
York countian Dianne Bowders came up with two possibilities
The first one predates 1737, but is reported in John Gibson’s “History of York County” in 1886: … .
“In the year 1725, Thomas Johnson (the father-in-law of Col. Thomas Cresap, who owned a ferry near the mouth of the river and was afterward noted in the history of York County as the leader of the Maryland intruders) obtained a Maryland title for the large island at Peach Bottom called “Mount Johnson” there being a mountain at the head of it. On the western shore of this island there is now a valuable shad fishery. Settlers under Maryland titles used this ferry as a crossing place as early as 1725. About this time Johnson named it Peach Bottom on account of the abundance of the American redwood or “Judas tree” which in spring time and early summer made the hillsides along the stream look as if they were covered with large peach orchards.”
And she came up with another Gibson reference, from 1815:
“This township was formed by a division of Fawn. The report of the viewers appointed by the court to make the division, was confirmed April 5, 1815. The petitioners requested that the
eastern part be called Peach Bottom. The survey was made by Col. James Steele, and according to his draft the township contains 18,313 acres. On the margin of the draft, representing the line along the Susquehanna River, a house, farm buildings, and an orchard, are drawn and marked
“John Kirk’s buildings and Peach Orchard.”
We appreciate Dianne’s sleuthing.
Meanwhile, “The Gazetteer of York and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania” adds another wrinkle to the discussion.
It notes that Peach Bttom was a community on the Susquehanna River in 1860 while the Peach Bottom Post Office was at Franklinville, nearly two miles away.
Franklinville?
Where the heck was Franklinville?
Slateville Presbyterian Church stands tall in Peach Bottom Township near its namesake quarries.
Also of interest
– For 2010 Census information for Peach Bottom Township and other York County municipalities, click here.
– Stone structures tell York countians how their ancestors lived.
– Delta-Peach Bottom slate shingles: ‘Nothing works as good as this’ .
– Old York County town jails: ‘They’re kind of hidden history’.
– Delta Welsh homecoming offers opportunity to learn about culture of slate miners.
– Genealogical society speaker provides tips for ‘Finding Lydia’s Bottom’
– You can always search for York Town Square posts on Google. For example, when you search for yorktownsquare and Peach Bottom, you get this.
