THE township of Brecknock was erected in 1741. Proceedings relating to its erection could not be found. When Berks County wvas erected, the boundary line extended through the township, and that portion of the township in this county naturally retained the same name.
The estimated area of the township in 1820 was nine thousand five hundred acres, and in 1849 ten thousand. In 1842 the western section was cut from the township and added to Cumru, the area having been about nine hundred acres. The length of the distance on the county line was four hundred and forty-four perches The commissioners were Samuel S. Jackson, William Eckert and M. S. Richards. The early settlers were Welsh, and they suggested the name of the township, doubtless taking it from the place of their nativity, in Wales.
Four fine streams of water take their rise in this township near the " Ziemer Tavern." The land is rolling, interspersed with valleys, but well improved.
TAXABLES OF 1759.-The names of the taxable people in the township for the year 1759 appear in the following list. Bernhard
Bealor was the collector; and the amount of tax levied was L l4, 13d.
(tax is in english pounds)
The citizens of the township are mainly acriculturists, and have also paid considerable attention to fruit-culture, the soil being well adapted for the smaller varieties. The apple and peach orchard of Henry Wagner was unusual on account of its size, it having thirty four hundred peach trees. Unfortunately, these bare been destroyed by blight, but the apple orchard is still one of the largest in this section of country.
Within the recollection of the old inhabitants John Ziemer was the first to encage in mercantile pursuits, having a store on the old State road in the eastern part. He there also distilled liquor soon after 1800. Before 1829 he had a public- house, which was afterward continued by Peter Ziemer. It has become a farm-house on the land of J. Schweitzer. In. the same locality Daniel Hummel began a small store in a building which had formerly been a school-house, but which was enlarged to meet the demands of his trade. In 1869 a post-office was established with the name of the store, Hummel becoming the postmaster. A few years later Augustus Schweitzer became the owner of the propertv, which he improved. He also conducted a public-house and store and the post-office, continuing the two latter to the present time. There is a triweekly mail to Reading. North from this place John Hartz opened a small store in 1884; and west of this Peter Bowman had a store for thirty years, removing it some eighteen years ago, to Knauer's.post-office, west of the centre of the township. John Trostel had the first public interest there, building a part of the present public-house more than forty years ago. Becoming the property of Daniel Knauer, he secured a post-office; with the name of his hotel, March 3, 1856. The hotel was afterwards carried on bv Wm. R. Ziemer and is now the property of Henry K. Furlow, who is also the postmaster. In this locality a store was lately opened by, Henry Trostel; there are also some niechanic-shops, being the only place having the appearance of a hamlet in the township.
ALLEGHENY CHURCH (REFORMED AND LUTHERAN).-In 1765 some thirty persons united in building the first house of worship, which was a simple log building, thirty by forty feet, without floor or stove, and had but two windows. Some years later it was plastered over and made more comfortable. It was used in this condition until 1800, when it was replaced bv a plain sandstone building. From its location near the Allegheny Creek, it took its name and is widely known among the churches of the county. The situation is very desirable, the church grounds commanding a view of the country many miles. The increase of membership and the prosperity of the congregations induced them to undertake ihe building of a new church in 1848, which, in its completed condition, is a worthy monument to their devotion It is a beautiful sandstone edifice, fortv five by seventy feet, with a pulpit recess of five feet in the rear wall. A steeple seventy feet high adds to its external appearance. The arrangement with galleries gives a seating capacity of eight hundred. The malls are finely frescoed and back of the pulpit is an attractive painting representing the " Ascension of Christ." It has a pipe-organ costing one thousand six hundred dollars. The corner-stone was laid Nov 23, 1878, and the dedication took place November 15th of the same year.
The cost, exclusive of the work done by members, as voluntary contribution, was nearly ten thousand dollars. Much of this amount was the proceeds realized from a term of eighty-two acres which was devised to the church in 1814 by one of its members, John Christian Ludwig Schaeffer, who died that year. He was born in 1729 and at his death was interred in the cenietery of the church. Formerly the income from the farm was used in maintaining a school under the direction of the church. This was discontinued after the era of free schools.
Each congregation has about three hundred and twenty five members, the Lutherans having as their pastor Rev. Zenas H. Gable. Some of his predecessors were the Revs. D. K. Humbert, T. T. laeger, S. R. Wagner, H. Boyer and others who preached in the Plow Church. The first Reformed minister recorded was the Rev. S. Ammon. Then came the Revs. H. Ingold, T. Faber, John Z Gulding, Reuben Herman, Fred. Herman and Aug. Herman, and, since 1873, M. L. Fritch.
The inscriptions on many sand stones have been effaced by the elements, and numerous graves have been marked by simple stone slabs containing no name at all.