Genealogical Gems

The 2014 Gourmet Gala, the annual fundraiser for the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, will be held on Sunday, 18 May, from 4 pm to 7 pm at the historic Mylin House (1787) and the Cultural Center at Willow Valley Communities in Willow Street. "The venue is ideal for the gala which has become Lancaster ’s premier food and beverage social and our primary fundraiser,” said Lisa Horst, president of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County Board of Directors. “The Mylin House will be the gala’s centerpiece while food and beverage will be in the adjacent and beautiful Cultural Center at Willow Valley Communities.   The care that has been taken in preserving and restoring the Mylin House is a must see and the reason why this venue was chosen for the 2014 Gourmet Gala.” The recipient of a 2013 historic preservation award by the Preservation Trust, the Mylin House was built in 1787 by Martin Mylin III and his wife Barbara Baer (granddaughter of Christian...

Providence Township was formed out of Martic Township in 1853 however the area had been settled as early as the 1720s. Several sources indicate early settlers were mostly German-Swiss descent. During its hayday, Providence was home to such industries as Martic Furnace and a Woolen Mill as well as many grist mills. It was also home to many saw mills, a natural progression since the land was full of hardwoods. Farming was another popular profession although many farmers - like Henry Eckman who settled here in 1817 - supplemented income with other related businesses. Many farmers quite naturally doubled as butchers and blacksmiths. Providence Township was home to many one room schoolhouses during the 1800s. Many of the old schoolhouses do not have datestones and records were poorly kept over the years. Schools included Fairview, New Providence, Harmony, Pleasant Valley, Mt. Airy, Hickory Grove, Rising Sun and Clearfield. Today elementary students attend Providence Elementary School, ...