tulpehockentwppg

Tulpehocken Township, Berks County     Tulpehocken township was so named after a tribe of Indians called Turpyhockin, who inhabited this region of country, whose chief was named Manangy, called the Indian chief of Schuylkill. This region of country is respectively mentioned in the Provincial record of Pennsylvania. It appears to have been a place of thorough pass, from an Indian village, called Peixtan, on the susquehanna, to Philadelphia.
    We find that in 1707, that one Nicole, French and Indian trader, was apprehended by persons, sent by government at Peixtan, and carried to Philadelphia, via Turpyhocken.- "Martin went again to Peixtan, and brought Nicole where we lay in concealed, and asking him to drink a dram, he seized him; but Nicole started from him, and run for it , when immediately we started out and took him, and presently carried him to the village of (Peixtan) through which we were obliged to pass; and there we found some Indians, with guns in their hands, who looked much displeased at what we had done; but to attempt any thing. Here we staid about half an hour, and then parted for Turpyhocken-having mounted Nicoli on a horse, and tied his legs under the belly, we got within a mile of Turpyhocken at about two of the clock. On Friday morning, about seven, the governor went to the town, from thence we went to Manatawny that night, and the next day to Philadelphia."
    The first white settlers were Palatines, who had emigrated from New York, of whom a general notice has been given, when speaking of the first settlers in Heidelberg township to which the reader is referred.

John Adam Diffenbach	Christian Lower	John Spycker	Jacob Lederman	Jacob Fisher
John Soller	Jacob Sorbert	Francis Wenrich	Ulrich Schwartz	Stephen Conrad
Conrad Sherf	John Livergood	Peter Sanns	Adam Stein	John Edwards
George Null	Jaocb Livergood	Francis Parvin	Henry Seller	Ludowick Ansbach
George King	Peter Krieger	John Weiser	Peter Lebo	Christopher Weiser
George Beistein	Jacob Ketterman	Peter Ansbach	Michael Ried	Herman Walborn
Frederick Reed	George Landauer	Henry Boyer	Martin Stip	Abraham Lauch
Peter Serby	Casper Reed (Ritt)	Peter Reed	Lenard Rees	Adam Lesh
Philip Brown	Peter Shever	Felty (Onroo) Unruth	John Fohrer	Christopher Keiser
John Trautman	Michael Detweiler	Nicholas Kinser	John Moir	Henry Stein
Christian Moir	George Sherman	Peter Keephart	William Keyser	Geo. Jacob Sherman
Gottfried Rohrer	Jacob Hoffman	Mathias Doebler	George Wolf	Bartel Dissinger
George Tollinger	Jaocb Reed	Frederick Kaufman	Christian Frank	Rudolph Moir
Michael Kofner	George Brosius	Jacob Bortner	Jacob Casert	Casper Reed
Christopher Ulrich	Johann Jacob Snebly	Mathias Bricker	John Pontius	Peter Criser
Daniel Lucas	William Keyser	Philip Gebhart	George Ulrich Fisher	William Dieler
Jacob Miller	Jacob Hubelor	Jacob Wilhelm	Jacob Bartner	Nicholas Olly
John Hovershen	Simon Scherman	John Riegel	Jacob Schwaner	Henry Millberger
Wolf Miller	George Paffinberger	Geo. Kantrico	Daniel Moir	Martin Schell
Adam Jordan	Jacob Tantor	Jacob Fullman	Mathias Noffziger	John George Meirslem
Jacob Miller	Simon Bogenreif	Andrew Wollinbeck	George Gotyman	Henry Reidenbach
John Baltzer Shever	ValentineBrindseil	Martin Warner	William Brath	Gottfried Fitler
Peter Mink	Casper Stump	Mathias Wagner	Nicholas Hamber	Nicholas Miller
George Weaver	Philip Meade	John Philip Bunger	George Christ	Conrad Wirth
Conrad Reber	Valentine Bungardner	Nicholas Lang	Frederick Stap	Valentine Neu
Christian Kurtz	John Ebberts	Michael Albert	Thomas Kern	Mathias Shefer
John Ridnore	Jacob Stough	John George Mats	William Sassaman	Adam Rehm
John Adam Weaver	Peter Laux	Jacob Houksvert

    This, like many other townships, was the scene of Indian massacres.
    Tulpehocken (Lower) was separated from Upper Tulpehocken. It is bounded north by Little Swatara Creek , which separates if from Bethel township-on the east by Upper Tulpehocken, and south by Marion-a township about being organized out of part of Heidelberg and Lower Tulpehocken; and on the west by Lebanon county; contains about 20,000 acres of land-limestone and gravel-very productive; mean length eight miles; breadth six miles. besides the Swatara on the north, (and its tributaries,) it is also watered by Mill creek, which also rises in this township. There are two churches, one near Mill creek, and one at Rohrersburg, common to the Lutherans and German Reformed. There are several villages or towns in this township. There are several mills in the township.
    Rohrersburg is on the road from Reading to Sunbury, about twenty-two miles from Reading, counting rising of fifty houses, several stores and taverns. Population about 300.
    Wohleberstown is a small village, not numbring more than fifteen or eighteen houses, a tavern and store, and several mechanic's shops. It is on the road to Myerstown, in Lebanon county, and on the Jonestown road.
    Population in 1830, 3200; 1840, 2941; horses 713; horned cattle 1,923; sheep, 765; swine, 2581; bushels of wheat raised, 29,397; rye 10,756; corn 30,300; oats 47,212; buckwheat 837; potatoes 5986; tons of hay 651; pounds of wool 1027; flax 1710. Whole amount of valuation on all articles taxable for county purposes in 1844, $1,027,212; county tax $2,054 42; gross amount of State tax $1,291 10.

History of Berks and Lebanon Counties
by I Daniel Rupp (1844)

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