Area Histroy: Lancaster County Municipalities and Township Data

Copyright © 1997 by Linnea Miller. This copy contributed for use in 
the USGenWeb Archives.  ltmiller@postoffice.ptd.net

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          Lancaster County Municipalities and Township Data

     Based on information contained in "Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities", Comm of PA, Dept Internal Affairs, 1965 and other sources.

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the sources listed at the end of this file.

Lancaster County - 3rd Class
Formed on May 10, 1729 from part of Chester County.

Third Class City:
Lancaster; incorporated Mar. 20, 1818; laid out as town in Mar. 1730.
Incorporated as a borough August 13, 1742.

Boroughs:
Adamstown; settled 1761; incorporated Apr. 2, 1850 from East Cocalico Twp.
Akron; incorporated 1884.
Christiana; settled 1833; incorporated Mar. 1, 1894 (1) or 1885-1886 (2)
    from Sadsbury Twp.
Columbia; settled 1788; incorporated Feb. 25, 1814 from Hempfield Twp.
Denver; settled 1863-1869; incorporated 1900 from Cocalico Twp.
East Petersburg; settled 1812; incorporated Dec. 20, 1946 from 
    East Hempfield & Manheim Twps.
Elizabethtown; settled 1751; incorporated Apr. 13, 1872 from 
    West Donegal & Mount Joy Twps.
Ephrata; settled 1732; incorporated 1891 from Ephrata Twp.
Lititz; settled 1757; incorporated Apr. 24, 1888 from Warwick Twp.
Manheim; settled 1762; incorporated May 16, 1848 (1) or May 16, 1838
    (2, 3) from Rapho Twp.
Marietta; settled 1803; incorporated Mar. 6, 1812 (1) or 1830 (2) from
    Donegal Twp.
Millersville; settled 1764; incorporated 1932 from Manor Twp.
Mount Joy; settled 1812; incorporated Feb. 10, 1851 from Mount Joy Twp.
Mountville; settled 1814; incorporated 1900 from West Hempfield Twp.
New Holland; settled 1760; incorporated 1895 from Earl Twp.
Quarryville; settled about 1791; incorporated Dec. 1, 1892 from Eden Twp.
Strasburg; settled about 1733; incorporated Mar. 13, 1816 from Strasburg Twp.
Terre Hill; incorporated 1900 from East Earl Twp.
Washington; settled 1810; incorporated May 1, 1827 (1,2) or Apr. 13, 1827 
    (3) from Manor Twp.

First Class Townships:
Manheim; settled 1729; incorporated as Twp June 9, 1729; 1st Class Twp Nov. 4, 1952.

Second Class Townships:
Bart; incorporated 1744 from Sadsbury Twp.
Brecknock; settled 1737; incorporated Jan. 10, 1740.
Caernarvon; settled 1730; incorporated June 9, 1729
Clay; settled 1740; incorporated 1853 from Elizabeth Twp.
Colerain; settled 1758; incorporated Feb. 1738 from Drumore Twp.
Conestoga; settled about 1759; incorporated 1712 (1) or 1718 (2) while
    part of Chester Co.
Conoy; settled about 1719; incorporated 1842 from West Donegal Twp.
Drumore; incorporated Aug. 5, 1729.
Earl; settled 1717; incorporated June 9, 1729.
East Cocalico; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.
East Donegal; settled 1716; incorporated June 24, 1838 from Donegal Twp.
East Drumore; settled 1700; incorporated 1883 from Drumore Twp.
East Earl; settled 1722; incorporated Nov., 20, 1851 from Earl Twp.
East Hempfield; settled 1717; incorporated 1818 from Hempfield Twp.
East Lampeter; settled 1723; incorporated 1841 from Lampeter Twp.
Eden; settled about 1830; incorporated 1855 from Bart Twp.
Elizabeh; incorporated 1757 from Warwick Twp.
Ephrata; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.
Fulton; settled about 1733; incorporated 1844 from Little Britain Twp.
Lancaster; settled 1717-1720; incorporated 1729 from Conestoga Twp.
Leacock; settled 1728; incorporated June 9, 1729.
Little Britain; settled about 1714; incorporated Feb. 7, 1738 from Drumore Twp.
Manor; settled 1717; incorporated 1730.
Martic; settled 1691; incorporated 1739 (1) or Aug. 1729 (2).
Mount Joy; settled 1735; incorporated 1759 (1) or 1759, 1767 (2) from Donegal Twp.
Paradise; settled 1710; incorporated 1843 from Strasburg Twp.
Penn; settled about 1735; incorporated 1846 from Warwick Twp.
Pequea; incorporated 1853 from Conestoga Twp.
Providence; settled 1720; incorporated 1853 from Martic Twp.
Rapho; settled about 1721; incorporated 1741 from Donegal Twp.
Sadsbury; settled 1691; incorporated 1729 while part of Chester Co.
Salisbury; settled 1710 or 1712; incorporated 1729.
Strasburg; settled 1712; incorporated about 1730.
Upper Leacock; settled 1731; incorporated June 17, 1843 (1) or June 19, 1843 
    (2) from Leacock Twp.
Warwick; settled 1716; incorporated June 9, 1729.
West Cocalico; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.
West Donegal; settled about 1719; incorporated June 24, 1838 from Earl Twp.
West Earl; settled about 1719; incorporated Nov. 18, 1833.
West Hempfield; settled 1718; incorporated 1818 from Hempfield Twp.
West Lampeter; incorporated 1841 from Lampeter Twp.

lSources:

(1) ³Pennsylvania, Political, Governmental, Military and Civil:
Political and Civil History Volume² by Frederick A. Godcharles, 1933.
(2) ³Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - A History², Vol. 1 by H.M.J. Klein
(ed.), 1924.
(3) ³History of Lancaster County with Biographical Sketches of Many of
Its Pioneers and Prominent Men² by Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans,
1883.

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