Other Uses for a Street Guide |
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More about Marlborough Twp. Land Tracts
 It was 2002, and Dick Musselman had hand-copied eight pages of records from St. Paul's. He began with the first record in the register, the baptism of Anna Maria, daughter of Henrich Schmidt and wife Anna Maria, June 6, 1741, altered by hand to read 1742. [I later verified the correction with St. Paul's staff.] The sponsors were Christian Schneider and his wife, Anna Maria. Several years later, this record would have even more significance, but for now, it was exciting to see the name of our possible ancestor. One of several stained-glass windows at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Red Hill. Fast forward to 2008 and our visit to the Schwenkfelder Heritage Center & Museum. As I examined the three-page list of Twp. warrantees and patentees, I noticed the three-part holdings of Christian Snyder, 1749. Nearby were several tracts in the name of Thomas Maybury and his Green Lane Forge. Three tracts to the left, and there was Henry Smith, Patentee, Apr. 21, 1774. Was it Henry Smith/Schmidt's daughter Anna Maria, who was baptized on June 6, 1742, with Christian Schneider and his wife, Anna Maria as sponsors? Of course, this was not the only familiar name I would spot. An interesting series of family names appeared on a typewritten list for Plate 1:
Other familiar names on the Plate 1 list are: Conrad Zimmerman, Philip LeBar, Peter Beissel, Philip Reed, and Adam Hillegas. Bartel Cooker [sometimes spelled Gucker] is among the landholders for Plate 3, along with Andrew Ohl, Michael Reiter, George Reiter, his son; Thomas Mayberry and Christian Sneider, Warrantee, Jan. 4, 1743. Plate 4 mentions Jacob Dasht, Patentee, May 22, 1772, 58 A. Dashtburg; Jacob Dasht, Patentee, Feb. 10, 1772, Christians Lan [illegible]. 54 A. 135 P. Brunheim. I recognized these as neighbors, and some were members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Red Hill, or the Lutheran Congregation at Old Goshenhoppen in Upper Salford Twp. We copied three typewritten pages of land records, numbering 1 - 81. I do not know the significance of the numbering system, although the pages were bracketed in pencil according to Plate Numbers. I have checked the records for Christian Sneider/Snyder and they agree with data I received from the Land Records of the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Pa. Someone has spent untold hours gathering and sorting these records and sketching the land holdings in relation to each other. For this, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Schwenkfelder Heritage Center & Museum. |
Other Uses for a Street Guide
 When we visited Pennsylvania, we purhased a Rand McNally Bucks & Montgomery Counties Street Guide for 2005. The maps served us very well during our trips through rural Pennsylvania, and I expect similar guides are available for other locales. An Internet search indicates that although our particular street guide is now outdated, current versions and older editions are sometimes offered for sale on Amazon.com or Alibris.com. As explained earlier, we put the street guide to another practical use after we visited the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center in 2008. I explained how Manny Bruck, using the Schwenkfelder land chart, drew in the boundaries of Christian's patent as shown there. I had brought a copy of the patent document which described its dimensions and markers, including fence posts, stones, a white oak tree and a stretch "along the Great Road leading from Macungie to Philadelphia North thirty two degrees East .... " Another invaluable item in today's genealogical toolbox is Google Earth, which can zoom in on a live location via satellite, according to the viewer's choice. We know that Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church is in Upper Salford Twp. near Woxall. We also know that our Christian Schneider's name is inscribed as one of the founders on a plaque displayed on an exterior wall of that church. Map 7425 of the Bucks & Montgomery Counties Street Guide shows Red Hill in Upper Hanover Twp., where some of Jacob and Maria Magdalena Schneider's children, nieces and nephews, were christened. It also shows the location of Christian Schneider's 1749 Patent, and it gives a clear picture of where many of the family's friends and neighbors lived. In the 2008 photo above, I was standing at the intersection of Main St. and Upper Ridge Rd. - apparently part of Christian's original Patent. On my last visit to Pennsylvania, I found a wonderful little book about this portion of Montgomery County. Part of a Postcard History Series, Along the Perkiomen is a collection of postcard reproductions portraying for the most part, scenes from the first half of the 20th century. They were selected by a patient and dedicated historian and collector of postcards. A member of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, author Jerry A. Chiccarine poured his enthusiasm and affection for his birthplace into this amazing collection of historical photographs in postcard form. More than that, the book brings to life the heritage and traditions of a multitude of Pennsylvanians - including those whose ancestors lived "along the Perkiomen" countless years ago. Chapter Six, titled Salford, Perkiomenville, Green Lane, and Sumneytown, has a hand-drawn sketch of that area, including Woxall and Salford Station. On page 89, I see a photograph of Old Goshenhoppen Church, and I know because I was there - that my 5th great-grandfather's name appears on a plaque on the wall of that church.
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Viewing a Street Guide - Map 7425
 In my book, I talk quite a bit about developing chronologies of our ancestors, and trying to recreate their lives and surroundings by researching the places where they lived. This is a perfect example of how it can help us to know and understand our families. For example, in studying the land records we photographed at the Schwenkfelder Library, I saw many familiar names. One of the most significant pages is Plate No. 3 for Marlborough Twp. The Schwenkfelder researcher who created these charts years ago, numbered three land tracts on this plate: #36, #42, and #61, in the name of Christian Snyder. The largest tracts adjacent to his, were those of Thomas Maybury. Several were marked "Green Lane Forge." Please note the drawing near Green Lane. We superimposed the sketch of the three Christian Snyder tracts onto Street Guide - Map 7425. Click on the map to enlarge it or use Zoom for greater detail, and here's where Google Earth is helpful. Upper Salford Township appears in the lower right corner of the map, and that's where Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church is located. You can ask Google Earth to find it for you. Thanks for your suggestion, Scott Snider! My thoughts leapt back to one of the first messages I encountered in my Goshenhoppen research: "Nov. 1, 1748 - Christian Schneider, Goshenhoppen at Mayberry's iron works." In the custom of the day, Christian had posted this announcement in Sower's newspaper and it was also reproduced in Settlers of Pennsylvania." Not only that, on July 16, 1747, The Pennsylvania Gazette announced an auction in Rockhill Twp., and one of the locations where plans could be viewed was at "Christian Snyder's near Thomas Maybury's." Not so different from our era with its social media! There are other familiar names on Plate 3: George Michael Reiter, Andrew Ohl, Christian Sheid, Henry Smith, Isaac Sumney, and of course, several large areas belonging to Thomas Maybury and his Green Lane Forge. Accompanying this and other copies of Marlborough Twp. land maps, are three pages of typed records: Names of Warrant and Patent holders, and some family relationships, with dates of documents and acreages, including property names such as Spring Mount, Wales, Goose Farm, Eden, and even Crooked Billet. Now, we switch back to the booklet I mentioned before: Jerry A. Chiccarine's Along the Perkiomen. I turn to Chapter Six, "Salford, Perkiomenville, Green Lane, and Sumneytown," and find several postcards of the area, circa 1906, 1907, 1917. They show Green Lane, the site of the original Green Lane Forge, with the comment that " ... Centuries ago, the forge had been the earliest industry in the area .... " I wonder which of the settlers it employed?. "Christian Schneÿder, Goshenhoppen," perhaps? |
Let's Find Christian's Land
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A New Beginning
 Back in 2011, full of enthusiasm, I launched my first website and named it Geneamania. After about twelve years of family research, I was ready - I thought - to launch a self-published book describing the long process I had developed - a tool for newbie researchers.
Although I wasn't new to writing or research - I'd been doing that for years - I was new to Internet technology and even with the generous help and advice of an experienced family member, I became discouraged. There were also technical difficulties with the upcoming e-book, which did not appear in the cyber-marketplace that year, as expected. Or the next; or the next!
This is where the "new leaf" comes in. After all, I did choose a clip art "family tree" for the book cover, with a perky face peering out at the welcoming world! And trees have leaves. That enthusiastic figure represents me and all the other genealogical types who are trying to find and identify their ancestors and their probable place of origin.
So Geneamania has its new leaf - and a new blog forum for - I hope - discussion, opinions, suggestions, and even contact from others in my own family line: the Snider/Snyder/Schneÿder/Schneider brood, wherever they are. No matter which family name we bear, the basic "search and discover" principles remain, and may be just the answer for other seekers. Happy hunting, all! And yes - my book will eventually appear - and will still be called:
Geneamania* Would the right Christian Schneÿder please stand up? (c)
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