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History of Lower Saucon Township Until the mid-17th century, the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) tribes hunted and inhabited the land of Lower Saucon Township. European traders first appeared in the area prior to 1700, and the Native Americans peacefully traded with these outsiders, although some minor skirmishes did occur. William Penn was granted land on March 4, 1681, by King Charles II to repay a debt owed to Penn’s father. The land grant included what is now Lower Saucon Township. However, Penn soon realized that he needed to purchase the land from the Native Americans to maintain clear ownership. Penn advertised throughout Europe, offering 100-acre parcels of land for 40 shillings, subject to a rent of one shilling per annum forever. In 1737, Penn’s sons expanded their land holdings to include most of the Lehigh Valley through the “Walking Purchase.” Although the Lenni Lenape did not think this was a legitimate claim, they eventually moved out of the area, allowing Europeans to settle it. Sometime before 1737, Nathaniel Irish established a farm, built a grist and saw mill, and opened a land office for William Penn. He is considered the first European settler in Lower Saucon Township. His land later became known as Shimersville. Irish was the first justice of the peace in the area, and the first “King’s Highway,” from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley, built in 1737, led to his property. Lower Saucon Township was chartered in 1743, when it was still a part of Bucks County. It was established in the rich farmland along the Saucon Creek. The name is of Native American origin, from sakunk, meaning “at the mouth of the creek.” The township also included South Bethlehem until 1865 and Hellertown until 1872. German immigrants, convinced by Penn’s favorable description of the New World, settled Lower Saucon Township in large numbers, beginning in the 1730’s. Some of the surnames of the early German settlers were Boehm, Wagner, Appel, Riegel, Lerch, Laubach, Oberley, Heller, Shimer, and Lutz. These early settlers were hardworking, and their farms prospered. There were numerous mills built to provide sawed wood, flour, textiles, paper, and gunpowder. Other early industry included lime kilns and the extracting of zinc and iron ore. During the Revolutionary War, many German farmers enlisted in the Continental army to fight the British. At a time when the army’s reserves were depleted, they offered to sell wheat and rye on credit. In 1777, soldiers of the Continental army transporting the Liberty Bell to Allentown passed through Lower Saucon, spending a night in Leithsville. The Marquis de Lafayette, according to legend, stopped at Wagner’s Tavern in Hellertown on his way to Bethlehem during the war. The first church, Lower Saucon Church, was established in 1734, soon after the early settlers had arrived. It was built by a German Reformed congregation on what is now Easton Road. There were 10 schools in place in the township even before the legislature of Pennsylvania adopted the public school system in 1834. These schools were established by the local church congregations. When the North Penn Railroad, connecting Philadelphia to Bethlehem, was completed in1856, this 55-mile line provided an impetus to building iron smelters in Bingen, Hellertown, and Iron Hill, due to the township’s wealth of iron ore and limestone. The railroad brought coal to this industry, transported pig iron to markets, and provided transportation for the township’s population. Lower Saucon Township felt the influence of the Bethlehem Steel Company. The executives purchased farmland in the township to build large estates, and the steel company became the largest employer in the area. When it ceased manufacturing in 1995, many residents of Lower Saucon suffered loss of employment. Today, farmland continues to be lost to housing developments at a startling rate. The township still processes beautiful woods, streams, and rolling hills, but care must be taken to preserve these open spaces that remain.
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