York County PA

Biography of William Gardner Smyser

William Gardner Smyser, now living retired at Topeka, is one of the interesting citizens of the capital city both on account of his individual experiences and his long service as a railroad and constructing engineer, and also because of his family lineage. Ho is connected by family ties with a number of notable Americans. The Smysors came out of Germany and settled in Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth century. The cause of their coming to America was participation in some revolutionary movement in Germany. The original name of the family was Bowemund. The Bowemunds and others had some part in … Read more

Biography of Henry Davault

Henry Davault was born in France, but married Catharine Maria Grover, of Germany. They emigrated to America about the year 1764, landed near Philadelphia, and settled near Hanover, York Co., Pa., where they lived and died. Mr. Davault served in the revolutionary war, under General Washington. He died at the age of 85, but his wife lived to the remarkably old age of 97 years, 4 months and ten days. They had the following children Philip, Margaret, Elizabeth and Gabriel (twins), Catharine, Mary, Henry, Valentine, Frederick, Julia, and Jacob. Philip was one year old when his parents arrived in America. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Gross, Daniel

Gross, Daniel first came to Abilene, Kan. in 1874 and clerked some time, finally came to Bunker Hill and became a member of the firm of Eyler & Gross, dealers in general merchandise, opening the business July 21, 1879, and carrying a stock of about $12,000, occupying two rooms, 22×40 and 22×50 feet. Mr. Gross was born in York County, Pa in 1857. Was raised and educated in his native county; married in 1879 to Miss Katie Gardner, a native of Ohio.

Biography of Col. Granville O. Haller

COL. GRANVILLE O. HALLER, U.S.A., Retired. – Granville Owen Haller was born in York, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1819. His father, George Haller, died when he was but two years of age, leaving a pious and most devoted mother in charge of four young children, who, with limited means, but with industry and thrift, had the satisfaction of seeing her eldest son graduate at the Jefferson Medical College of the University of Pennsylvania. She was very desirous of sending Granville to the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to be fitted for the ministry, but conscientious doubts on his part prevented him … Read more

Biography of Orpheus S. Woodward, Col.

Col. Orpheus S. Woodward. The career of Colonel Woodward, who is past fourscore and is one of the most honored and respected citizens of Neosho Falls, represents a broad track of useful effort and service, beginning as a teacher, changing to the dangerous occupation as a soldier in the Civil war, subsequently as a rancher, business man, public official in Kansas, where he had lived the greater part of the last half century. Colonel Woodward was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, May 1, 1835. The Woodwards were colonial Americans, tracing their original home to England. It is probable that the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Smyser

Smyser, George W. of the firm of J. A. T. Dixon & Co., located on a homestead near Dorrance, in 1871 and farmed three years. He then served as County Treasurer four years, then into general hardware trade at Russell two years, then farmed two years south of the latter village, then went into business at Bunker Hill. Born in York County, Pa., in 1832, where he was raised and educated. Married in 1854 to Mary Hunes of the same place. They have three children: Leila J. Emma E. and Martin B. He is a member of the A. O. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Thomas Foote

Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Thomas Foote Location: Cockeysville, Maryland Place of Birth: Cockeysville, Maryland Date of Birth: 1865 Thomas Foote’s Story, A free Negro. Reference: Personal interview with Thomas Foote, at his home, Cockeysville, Md. “My mother’s name was Eliza Foote and my father’s name was Thomas Foote. Father and mother of a large family that was reared on a small farm about a mile east of Cockeysville, a village situated on the Northern Central Railroad 15 miles north of Baltimore City. “My mother’s maiden name was Myers, a daughter of a free man of Baltimore County. In her younger … Read more

York County, Pennsylvania Census Records

1790 York County, Pennsylvania Census Records Free 1790 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – Ancestry Free Trial  Hosted at USGenWeb Census Project Surname Index A-Bu Surname Index Bu-Eu Surname Index Ev-He Surname Index He-Le Surname Index Le-Mi Surname Index Mi-Sa Surname Index Sa-Tr Surname Index Tu-Zy Chanceford, Fawn, Hopewell, Windsor Township Windsor, York Borough, Manchester Township York, Shrewbury, Paradise, Reading Township Reading, Warrington, Monaghan, Hellam, Cordorus Township Cordorus, Newberry, Dover, Newbery, Township Township Not listed Township Not listed Township Not listed Township Not listed Hosted at Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Census Inventory Hosted at Census Guide 1800 U.S. … Read more

York County, Pennsylvania Cemetery Records

Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Cemeteries hosted at York County Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Cemetery List Cemetery Locations Old Cemetery Transcriptions Cemetery Photos and Inscriptions hosted at York County Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archive Alpine Road Cemetery (Benders) Altland’s Meetinghouse Cemetery Andersontown Church of God Cemetery Arbor United Brethren (Adamsville United Methodist) Aughenbaugh Cemetery Baer Burial Grounds Bair Codorus Mennonite Cemetery Bair’s Meeting House Cemetery Barren’s (Salem Union) Beidler’s Graveyard Bentz Burial Ground Bermudian Church of the Brethren Bethel United Methodist Bethel … Read more

Genealogy of the Shanks Family in America

Genealogy of the Shanks family in America

David Shanks is descended from Thomas Shanks, who was living in Washington Township, York County, Pennsylvania by 1763 when he first appears on a land warrant there. The genealogy then deals with the descendants of David and Hannah Morrison Shanks of Amsterdam, Botetourt County, Virginia, the second son of said Thomas.