New Cumberland is not our town's original name. The town as we know it today was originally named "Haldemantown," after the town's founder, Jacob Miller Haldeman. However, when the town was registered at the Cumberland County Courthouse, it was legally recorded as "Cumberland," instead of "Haldemantown." As the town grew, a post office was established in 1827 and since the town was legally named Cumberland, the post office used that in it's title. As you know there's another town in Maryland, called Cumberland, so the government was afraid there would be confusion between the two towns and it changed the post office name here to "New Cumberland." By 1831, the town's leaders accepted the "New Cumberland" designation and it was officially declared a borough.
According to Susquehanna Club's website, the groundwork for our town all started in 1811 when Mr. Haldeman purchased seventy-one acres from various families. The original layout was established with Water, Market & Bridge being the north to south streets and First through Fifth being the east to west streets. There were 221 original lots, most selling for $300.
Seems a shame that Jacob Haldeman doesn't get his due for pioneering this nice little town. Sure, he has a street named for him, Haldeman Boulevard, but it doesn't seem enough to do him justice. And to think, if whomever recorded the town name as "Cumberland" just would have recorded it as "Haldemantown", well, he would have his name on this town as a legacy. According to the borough's website history page, written by Dr. Gerald S. Brinton, other communities have existed on this plot of land such as Shawneetown, Chartier's Landing and Lowther Manor. However, the town as we know it today is due to Jacob Haldeman's efforts. Haldeman was, literally, a community organizer. He bought, parceled and sold the land. He created a governing body which consisted of judges to handle the fair distribution of lots and hired a town promoter to publicize this new community to potential buyers.
I have to wonder what Mr. Haldeman would think of New Cumberland now. I like to think he would be proud of the growth and the continued pride displayed here by the residents and business owners. So, when you drive into town and see those green "Welcome to New Cumberland" signs, take a minute to remember "Haldemantown" and the man who made it happen, Jacob Miller Haldeman.
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| Jacob Miller Haldeman, 1781-1857, Founder of New Cumberland |
http://www.susquehannaclub.com/susquehanna_club_history.html
New Cumberland Frontier Gilbert W. Beckley copyright 1973
http://www.newcumberlandborough.com/history.php
Great stuff Karen. Having grown up in New Cumberland, I really enjoyed your story about Haldemantown. I happen to have both New Cumberland books by Gil Beckley, the other titled 'The Sampler from Seventy Six. Both are great reference books. Thanks for the neat blog. I'll be checking back soon.
ReplyDeleteTom, Mt. Airy, MD
Pierre Chartier's trading post was near the river on the northern end of N.C. He was half Shawnee, half French Canadian, and his Shawnee compatriots camped around him in the early 1730s. He was given a large land grant (stretching to Leib's Hill -- Beacon Hill now) in the hopes he would mediate between the colonists and the native americans on the frontier, but he moved west, allegedly killing an English trader near Pittsburgh. Fleeing this situation, he and his band traveled toward the Mississippi and disappeared from history. Not too many colorful rascals like that today.
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