History

Overview

Less than forty years after William Penn was given a royal land grant in 1681 by Charles II of England, John Hanson Steelman became the first settler in our valley circa 1718. Until then, the English “frontier” west of the Susquehanna River was the hunting grounds of several native Indian tribes, but there were apparently no permanent Indian “towns” here. Attesting to the native presence, thousands of pre-historic artifacts have been recovered over the years from many farm fields and creek banks.

Steelman had been born in 1655 of Swedish parents at what is now Philadelphia, PA. As a westward adult migrant, “Hance,” as he was often referred to by neighbors, learned Indian languages sufficiently well enough to become an interpreter and established a trading post near Zora in what is now Liberty Township.

In the first half of the 18th Century, many European immigrants followed Steelman to this area. These settlers were mostly Scots-Irish looking to better their lives in the New World. The first church here, the Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, was organized in 1748 (now in Highland Township).

The Pennsylvania Assembly created York County from Lancaster County in 1749, and within York County in that same year also created “Hamilton’s Bann” Township. Hamiltonban may have been named by Irish settlers after that area in Northern Ireland.

The peaceful pursuits of the early township residents became tenuous during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763. Several Indian raids, the most notable of which was the “Bard Massacre,” terrorized the local inhabitants during this period, but did not put a stop to continued growth.

In 1755, John Miller purchased 247 acres in "Carroll’s Delight” or “Carroll’s Tract” – a 5,000 acre land grant awarded by Maryland authorities in 1732 to Charles Carroll, but entirely within present Adams County, PA. Credit for founding “Fairfield” goes to Miller, who by 1784, was selling and preparing town lots. “Fairfield Town” is clearly marked on the Reading Howell 1792 “Map of Pennsylvania.” Surprisingly, in April 1798, John Miller’s son William established a post office he called “Millerstown.” Within a short period of time, however, the postal department changed the name back to Fairfield because of the existence of another “Millerstown” in then Cumberland County to the north. Interestingly, references to “Millerstown” still persist in our area today.

On January 22, 1800, Governor Thomas McKean signed the bill creating Adams County from York County. Named for the sitting President of the United States, John Adams, Adams County was one of ten new counties formed by the Assembly that year.

The first “defection” from Hamiltonban Township occurred about one and a half years later in August 1801 when Liberty Township was formed. Liberty had contained a settlement east of Zora called “Carrollsburg”, here as elsewhere in the area, agricultural pursuits ruled the day, along with the occasional copper mine and grist mill.

Railroad construction is quite an engineering marvel. Thaddeus Stevens’ “Tapeworm Railroad” was no exception. However, its serpentine route through Hamiltonban Township was never finished due to a lack of financing. The viaduct, referred to on the historical marker, would have carried the tracks across Tom’s Creek southwest of Fairfield near Maria Furnace.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) had a profound effect on our area even before the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hamiltonban Township lost another large piece of land in the east on November 16, 1863, when Highland Township was formed. Although many think that Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address three days later overshadowed this local event.

On August 26, 1896, the Borough of Fairfield was incorporated. Situated on 448 acres (.7 sq. mi.) and nestled within the current southern boundary of Hamiltonban Township, it sported, at the time a short-lived newspaper, a knife factory, two shoe factories, several general stores, and five churches

The newest member of the community is the Borough of Carroll Valley which was incorporated on September 30, 1974. This municipality was created from Hamiltonban and Liberty Townships upon the demise of the Charnita Ski Area development. At only 5.5 square miles, it is not the largest borough in the state.