Philadelphia and meet at Lancaster, which they did on 27 September 1777. Their paths thither took a northern route, arching through Berks and Northampton counties to avoid any British patrols that might be lurking in central Chester County. Upon reaching Lancaster, members of the Congress discovered the town

. Vondersmith, associate judge of the Lancaster County Courts, delivered an essay on "Civilization and Its Effects Upon Mankind." About ten years later Judge Vondersmith fled from Lancaster civilization ahead of the United States marshal who held a warrant for his arrest. The civilized judge, it was alleged

peace assigned to Lancaster County were John Wright, Thomas Read, Tobias Hendricks, Andrew Cornish, and Samuel Jones. Wright was the presiding justice, a position he held until May 1741. Wright, �92/4, 1989/90 105 Hendricks, and Cornish had been justices in Chester County prior to the erection of

of highways. In practice, Lancaster County's magistrates (or lay justices) were the only local government. With Lancaster being chosen for the county seat as anticipated by James Hamilton, there was no hurry to develop the township government. On 1 May 1742 Lancaster was chartered as a borough. At

appreciation for the quality of workmanship practiced by the old Pennsylvania German craftsmen. Henry will tell you that the "proper name" for these early weapons is "Pennsylvania-Kentucky rifles." The outcome of his study of the gun was a large volume — it has been called a definitive history — titled, The

A History of Sin and Vice: Lancaster—The Fallen Angel By John W. W. Loose, FLCHS in a community remarkable for its many churches and the reputed piety of its citizenry, the very thought of sin and vice is improbable. In this time of social disintegration and family dysfunction, it is not uncommon