The Conestoga Area Historical Society

07/28/2026

Our first Fiber Frolic was a success on Sunday. Please join us for our second one on August, 30th from 1 to 4.
And don't forget our "Lets Weave at the Museum" on Sunday, August 9th.

07/17/2026

Do you want to make a mug rug? Come on down for a free, fun afternoon on Sunday, August 9.

For furthur information contact [email protected]

07/16/2026

Hey one and all Fiber Enthusiasts. Come out to our Fiber Frolics at the The Conestoga Area Historical Society. Bring a chair, a snack, a non alcoholic drink, bring your enthusiasm and lets chat and fiber away. If the weather is not suitable.... like too hot or rainy, we do have a nice room we can enjoy. Hope to see you there.
Questions: [email protected]

07/13/2026

06/25/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/175aPEh8dT/

The Mennonite Tavernkeeper of Frontier Lancaster County

Before Lancaster County was filled with highways, shopping centers, and neatly marked roads, it was frontier country.

In the early 1700s, one of the men helping carve a life out of that frontier was Martin Harnish, an immigrant of Swiss/German Mennonite background who settled in what was then the edge of colonial Pennsylvania.

Harnish is remembered today as an early ancestor of a large Lancaster County family. But hidden inside the records is a surprising detail: before he devoted himself fully to farming, Martin Harnish kept a tavern.

According to 'The Martin Harnish Freindschaft,' Harnish was naturalized in 1729 and had already purchased land in Lancaster County. That same year, and again in 1730, 1731, 1732, and 1733, he was licensed by the Court of Quarter Sessions to keep a “public house of entertainment.” In plain terms, he ran a tavern.

He was also separately licensed to sell rum by the quart.

That small detail opens a fascinating window into early Lancaster County. Taverns were more than places to drink. They were gathering spots, rest stops, news centers, informal courtrooms, and landmarks for travelers moving through a rough and growing countryside.

And Harnish’s tavern stood out. The book notes that his was the only Germanic name on the list of tavernkeepers.

The records even preserve a glimpse of frontier justice. In 1730, Harnish was ordered to appear before the court in a case involving William Evans, who owed him 21 shillings and six pence. Evans was ordered to pay the debt and receive ten lashes in public.

By 1734, Harnish no longer appears on the tavern license list. The book suggests that by then he had gone over entirely to farming. He later held land in Conestoga Township and created a home on what was still the Pennsylvania frontier.

It is a small story, but a revealing one: a Mennonite immigrant, a frontier tavern, rum by the quart, an unpaid debt, and public punishment in early Lancaster County.

Stories like this are tucked throughout the 438-page 'Martin Harnish Freindschaft,' a detailed family history filled with genealogy, land records, local history, old maps, and glimpses of life in early Lancaster County.

The book is available at The Conestoga Area Historical Society (open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm) and on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0aNYj2GY

06/01/2026

All ages came out to help reconstruct our German 4 square garden. There is a lot more to do. More beds to finish. The rough fieldstone patio at the gift shop is being professionally replaced with a level and safe surface.
We are grateful for these volunteers who keep this museum running.

A reminder, we are open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 untll December 13. The museum is rare because it is free, however we appreciate any donation to help our costs.

06/01/2026

If you are interested in seeing the petroglyphs but not up for braving the rapids below Safe Harbor, check out the four on display at the Conestoga Area Historical Society. They are currently open every Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm. Click the link to learn more about the buildings on display at the CAHS.
https://unchartedlancaster.com/virtual-walking-tour-of-the-conestoga-area-historical-society-grounds/

05/30/2026

Meet Madame Ann LeTort (circa 1651 – 1720). Ann LeTort and her husband, Jaques, were French Huguenots who fled religious persecution in France and eventually settled in London. There, they met William Penn, who invited them to Pennsylvania—a “safe haven” for persecuted peoples.

In 1686, the LeTorts became the first known white settlers in what would become Lancaster County. By 1704, they had established a trading post in Conestoga Indiantown, offering practical goods—like warm blankets and cooking pots—in exchange for furs.

While Jaques was often away on lengthy trading expeditions, Ann managed the post herself. Her fairness, business acumen, and respect for Native American trading partners earned her widespread admiration.

In 1718, the LeTorts expanded their operations with a second trading post near present-day Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Even after Jaques’ death, Ann continued to run the Carlisle post on her own until her passing in 1720—an impressive legacy of leadership and resilience on the Pennsylvania frontier.

Today, her legacy lives on—not just in the region’s history, but also in the name of Letort Elementary School in Penn Manor School District. 👉 Here’s a fascinating deep dive into her life. https://unchartedlancaster.com/madame-ann-letort-lancaster-countys-first-lady-of-the-frontier/