Early History of Shippensburg

Prior to the arrival of the first settlers, various Indian tribes roamed through the beautiful valley then called North or Kittochtinny Valley. Occasional traders and trappers traveled through the area, and isolated cabins were constructed as reported in historical references. The land was, strictly speaking, owned by the Indians, and the Penn family did not open the land to legal settlement until after the 1736 treaty with the Indians.

The first settlers arrived in the area now known as Shippensburg in June 1730, according to early records. Twelve families first camped along the stream now known as Burd's Run, and then started a village at the crossroads of King and Queen Streets. One large cabin, the Sam Brady home, at this intersection remained standing until a few years ago when it was torn down to make way for a gas station. These immigrants, mostly farmers, just arrived from Ulster, known as the Scotch-Irish because of their roots in Scotland, swarmed into the area. Licenses for land use, the Blunston Licenses, became available before the 1736 treaty, but it is likely that these settlers at first did not bother with these formalities.

In 1737, Ed Shippen of Philadelphia received a patent from the Penns for a large tract of land in this area, and subsequently the existing settlement was called Shippensburg. The population grew, both in the immediate area and in sections closer to the Susquehanna, and by 1750 some 5,000 people were living in the area, with more arriving each year, mostly form Ulster. Upon petition, a separate county was created from Lancaster County in 1750. It was called Cumberland, possibly because of its resemblance to the English County of the same name, or more likely in honor of Duke of the Cumberland, who had defeated the Scots at Culloden in 1746.

For a few months the county seat was situated at Shippensburg, with sessions of the court held at the stone tavern at the corner of King and Queen Streets. This building, believed to be the oldest in the town, came to be known as the Widow Piper's Tavern or the Old Courthouse. In 151, the county seat was moved to the newly created village of Carlisle, and the building continued as a tavern. It still stands.

The town was a true frontier town, with trappers and traders passing through King Street en route to the West. Then, after the defeat of General Braddock in 1755, the terrorism of Indian raids began. Many area farmers tilled their fields with muskets strapped to their plows. Countless atrocities occurred, and many families in outlying areas sought refuge in the barns, basements and forts in Shippensburg. After the campaign of General Forbes in 1758 some relief was given, but peace did not come to the Valley until the mid-1760s and the conclusion of Pontiac's War.

Ed Shippen was a prosperous merchant and civic leader in Philadelphia and was blessed with a family headed by his oldest child, daughter Sally. A young Scotsman, James Burd, met Sally at a Presbyterian church in Philadelphia and soon they were married. In due course, Shippen asked the Burds to move west to Shippensburg and here they arrived in 1752. The Burd house (see detail) was constructed by them as they began to raise a family in this area.

Burd laid out the streets of the town for his father-in-law. When the French and Indian War brought dangers close to Shippensburg, the family moved to Lancaster to be with Shippen, while Burd secured a commission in the Royal Army. He surveyed the route for the Forbes expedition to the west, now basically Route 30. He supervised the 15000 Scotch-Irish axe men who cut the road through the forests and over the steep ridges and then served the King of England in various military assignments until the Revolution, when he retired for health reasons. The Shippens showed varying loyalties during the War. Ned, James Burd's son, served iwth the Revolutionary forces, was captured, and returned. None was of Tory persuasion... most were neutralists. Burd purchased a farm on the east side of the Susquehanna, and after a long period of ill health, died in 1790. Buried in the Presbyterian Church cemetery at Middletown, his honors consist of Burd Street, James Burd Elementary School, Burd's Run, and a plaque at St. Andrew's Church.

During the Revolution the men of Ulster ancestry proved to be highly patriotic and capable, providing many notable soldiers that aided the cause of the new country. After the Revolution, Shippensburg began its gradual growth, and shortly many settlers of German ancestry moved in and established the beautiful farms and well-kept fields that surround the town today.

In 1784 the growth of the area mandated the erection of another county to the west, and the new county was named "Franklin" to honor Benjamin. The quest for location of the county seat included Grencastle, Chambersburg, and Shippensburg. When Chambersburg was selected, the disappointed Shippensburg town fathers decided to stay in Cumberland and border was established outside of town. Now, of course, the town includes portions in both counties. With two county seats to the east and westShippensburg experienced growth at a slower rate than its neighbors, but maintained its mix of agriculture and business.

In the mid-19th century, the Shippensburg Normal School was created, now mushroomed into the nationally recognized Shippensburg University, adding a new dimension to the culture and diversity of the town. Today, the town presents a fortuitous mix of agriculture, education, industry, recreation, transportation, and unexcelled living conditions.