Bishop Christian Darig Hirschi

History and Records of the Hershey Family from the year 1600, by Scott Funk Hershey, PH.D., LL, D. . on page 16 he states "Christian Hershey and his 3 children, Benjamin, Andrew, and Anna, located in Lancaster Co., Pa., in 1709. The father was a Bishop in the Mennonite Church and was succeeded in that office by his son Benjamin.

Profile picture is Christian Hershey's Home Located on the Pleasure Road, this is believed to be the home of Christian Hershey. The photo is from the Mennonite research journal, v.7. no. 2. and is courtesy of P. H. Gibble. Location: Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

links

• http://www.myancestralfile.com/hershey/pafg01.htm#2106
• FamilySearch AFN: 1303-06V

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THE HISTORY OF MENGES MILLS

The History of Menges Mills and Gerber’s Church begins in Appenzell, Switzerland in the 17th century with the family of Franziest Hersche. In 1662, Franziest married Engel Darig and the Lord blessed them with two sons, Christian and Johannes. In 1672, the Cantons of Berne and Zurich formed an alliance for mutual defense against French and German invasions. This move towards Swiss independence required all young men to either perform two years of military service or else leave the country. Tax records show that by 1682, when Christian was perhaps 17 years old, the family had moved to the German Palatinate.

While life in the Palatinate may have brought freedom from mandatory military enlistment, it did not bring freedom from invasions by the armies of King Louis XIV of France. So in 1717, Christian brought two of his three sons with him across the ocean to William Penn’s colony. 1717 appears to be the year that began a significant Mennonite migration and Christian has the distinction of being the first Mennonite bishop to come to America. He settled in Lancaster County and took a patent on 1,000 acres of land in partnership with a friend, Jacob Brubaker. President James Buchanan’s home, Wheatland, now sits on part of this patent.

In addition to Christian and his two sons’ arrival in 1717 and the third son coming twenty-two years later, two sons of Christian’s brother Johannes also came. Their names were Andrew and Christian Hershey and they also settled on Lancaster County land patents.

In 1732, it was this Andrew Hershey (1698-1754) of East Petersburg, Lancaster Co., who came to York Co. along with his brother Christian to scout for land suitable to buy and build a mill on. In 1734, he was granted a land patent of 600 acres from Lord Baltimore. His patent was called Golden Grove and surrounded the area of Menges Mills. Sometime after this, Andrew Sr. sent his son Andrew Jr. to clear the land and start a mill on Codorus Creek. Who he lived with or how can only be imagined from our knowledge of life in those times. The area was just beginning to be settled. It was inhabited by Okete and Wiota Indians and access was limited to Indian trails by horseback or small wagon.

The Germans were mostly experienced settlers seeking permanence. A few of outstanding character, intelligence and tenacity helped decide the drawn out border dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania. The York Co. settlers petitioned for the first public road through the area which was built by Lancaster Court in 1739. It crossed the Susquehanna at Wrightsville, went through York, Menges Mills and Hanover. Then it went onto the Maryland Line. It was called the Monacacy Road or the “Kings Highway”. It was surveyed by a team of six men, one of which was an important leader of the settlers, Michael Danner. It was the main road used in traveling from Baltimore and Washington to Philadelphia. It was traveled much by the leaders of early America such as George Washington and Anthony Wayne. It also enabled teamsters to travel through the area with their Conestoga wagons. Supplies, trading and general commerce was improved.

The early German settlers in the area were Lutherans, Mennonite, and Brethren. In 1738, the first organized group of worshipers was formed near the Maryland line called Little Conewago. It consisted of at least ten Brethren families and perhaps included some Mennonites. It eventually evolved into the Black Rock Church of the Brethren of today. The names of these first families were Danner, Dierdorff, Biegler, Miller, Baugher, Keeney, Meyers, Martin, Jacobs, and others. They worshipped in homes, taking turns in surrounding townships and counties within a fifty mile radius. https://kimskrypt.com/history/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/224045546/christian-herschehershey