Tschantz Graveyard: The final resting place for several of Lancaster’s first settlers and one of the County’s oldest cemeteries.
1710 Lancaster County Immigrants
In 1710 the first extensive settlement in what would later become Lancaster County (1729) was established in the area between the Conestoga River and Pequea Creek encompassing parts of modern-day Pequea, West Lampeter, and Strasburg Townships. It was in this region, then known as Conestoga, that the first Conestoga Wagons traveled the old Conestoga Road, and the first Pennsylvania long rifles were made.
Settling on Native American grounds, these Mennonite immigrants took ownership of 10,000 acres granted to them by William Penn on the western edge of what was then Chester County Other large land purchases later followed.
These Swiss-German Mennonites came to Pennsylvania in search of religious freedom after much persecution, as well as economic opportunities. They came as peacemakers and learned from their Native American neighbors the ways of this rich wilderness.
Tschantz Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Lancaster County. It is believed to contain the graves of three of these 1710 pioneers: Martin Meylin, Jacob Miller, and Wendel Bauman (Bowman).
Please be respectful. No Night Caching.
Info source : unchartedlancaster.com