Recent History of Hamiltonban Township (1866-present)

Mining in Hamiltonban Township

"In 1878 copper was discovered in the Snively Mines on the Musselman tract near Fairfield." This is located near Lost Limb Lane off Mount Hope Road - the lane was named for a worker at the Snively copper mine who lost a leg in a mine explosion. The Snively mine shaft opening is still visible today. It is 80 feet deep, although it is now filled with water. On this tract three veins were discovered, one of which was ten feet thick. Operations at the mine have been shut down for about 100 years.

Greenstone quarrying is ongoing in Hamiltonban, being conducted at the ISP quarry and grit mill on Old Waynesboro/Charmian road. This facility was originated by C. A. Wills before the first World War.

Iron mining in Hamiltonban hasn't been attempted since the closure of the Maria Furnace, in 1836.

An interesting map of Hamiltonban Township from 1872 is shown here. If you have a dialup connection to the internet, it will take a while to load as it is 2.6 Mb in size. One interesting aspect of this map is that it shows the homes and the names of the homeowners in the township at that time. This map was created 7 years after the Civil War and about 11 years before the railroad finally came to Hamiltonban. The dashed line on this map labeled "Unfinished Rail Road" is the bed of the old "Tapeworm Railroad," which was started and abandoned before completion in the 1830s.

Churches, Schools, Etc.

"The Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized November 10,1855...The New Reformed Church of Fairfield was dedicated December 29, 1878. This is modern gothic...standing on the site of the old Union Reformed and Presbyterian Church erected in 1824, and which was blown down the same year. The second church was built in 1825 and continued in use until 1878...The Methodist Episcopal Society was organized about 1827 and worshiped in private houses until 1830, when the first church was erected. On June 9, 1876, the Centennial Methodist Episcopal Church was begun and completed and dedicated on November 30, that year...The Catholics of "Carroll's Delight" were accustomed to visit Emmitsburg or Conowago in the very early days; later missionaries visited their homes, and in 1851 their present church ws built...The public school house has been an institution here since 1835. Up to 1872 the building was of a very primitive character, but in that year a pretentious brick house was erected..."

Historic Bridge

In 1890, a covered bridge was constructed on Jacks Mountain Road over Toms Creek in Hamiltonban Township. At that time there were a number of covered bridges in Adams County. With the advent of motor vehicles, however, the covered bridges were increasingly replaced with wider and stronger bridges. Now, this bridge, named the G. Donald McLaughlin Memorial Covered Bridge after the man who caused it to be restored, is the only remaining covered bridge in Adams County that is open to vehicular traffic. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was restored in 1997. More information and pictures of this historic structure are available here.