Providence township was erected in 1853, from Martic township. It is bounded by Pequea and Strasburg townships on the north, by Strasburg and Eden townships on the cast, by Drumore township on the south, and by Martic township on the west. The township line on the northeast is Big Beaver creek, emptying into Pequea creek, which latter forms the boundary on the northwest. These and Butler's Spring, which rises in the center of the town- ship, and flows northerly also emptying into Pequea creek, are the principal watercourses in Providence township. The township is generally well adapted for agricultural purposes, though the southeastern part has been put into other uses, a valuable deposit of iron ore having been exploited, at different times during the last century and a half. The Molar Bank mine furnished the ore for a furnace which was operated in provincial times in the central part of the township. This mine was thought to have been exhausted, and for many years lay abandoned, but in the 'sixties, under different management, it was reopened and profitably worked.
Much of the pioneer history of Providence is given in the Martic township chapter, and need not be restated here. The provincial tax of that portion of Martic township now embraced in Providence for the year 1757 showed the following names of landowners: James Duncan, John Luckey, Brice Miller, Patrick Duncan, Jacob Beams, Arsbell Bredy, Christian Graft, Thomas Smith, Michael Graft, John Graft, Ulrich Yourty, Jacob Brant, Jacob Graft, John Garvin, Michael Shank, Matthew Cuningham, Ocly Everly, George Sutter, Jacob Hoover, Sr., Edward Gilbert, Thomas Nelson, Samuel Mears, Samuel Luckley, Alexander Scoot, Robert Luckey, Hugh Reynolds, Christian Murphey, William Diven, George Coop, John Duncan, John Funk, Robert Duncan, Francis Taylor, Hugh Gray, Henry Stofer, Harry Bleecher, William Falk, Michael Bleecher, Jacob Loughman, John Hannaw, Henry Lines, John Lowman, John Stofer, Jacob Winter, William Hoover, Jacob Hover, Joseph Blear, Jacob Bear, William White, John Graft, Jr., Martin Funk, John Winter, Thomas White, Adam Lomous, Robert Fulton, Henry Hare, Samuel Workman, Frederic Shouler, Henry Workman, Jacob Brubaker, Hugh Blear, Francis Taylor, Samuel Mears, Henry Hoover, George Johnson, Alexander McAlster, David McBride, John Dowell, John Ramsey, Samuo Willson. The "Freemen" named on the 1757 list were Andrew Mahaffey, Patrick Brubaker and Hans Adams. Samuel Irwin was collector.
Of the pioneers, some brief reference might here be made. Michael Shank came from Switzerland in 1720, and purchased from James Musgrave about 1,200 acres, part in Providence and part in Drumore township. Part of the tract is still in the hands of descendants of Michael Shank, who died in 1745. Michael Graft and wife settled nearby at about the same time. They came from Germany, and their descendants (Graff, Groff) are still to be found in the township. Ulrich Everly came with his parents from Switzerland in about 1730. He married a sister of Michael Shanks, and died in about 1810. Further to the westward Christopher Winters settled. He was believed to be of German descent. He died about 1810. Henry Hair settled to the northward, and a little way off to the northwest were Henry and Frank Bowman. Henry Bowman, for many years a bishop of the Mennonite Church, was son of Henry Bowman, pioneer, by his wife a daughter of Christian Herr (Hair). Another early settler was John Miller. To the southward, on land which later was owned by the Leamans, were John and Valentine Hart. The Harts later operated an extensive tannery. Near the Harts Frederick Kuhn settled. Above him George Hess kept a hotel in the earlier provincial days. Henry McFalls settled in 1782.
New Providence began to take entity after a log house had been erected and occupied as an inn "At the Sign of the Black Horse." The hamlet was originally known by the name of the inn, "Black Horse;" and for a century or more the "Black Horse" was a well-known hotel. When a post-office was established, the place took the name of the office, "New Providence." The original purchaser of land in the vicinity of New Providence was John Taylor, who was a surveyor for the Provincial Government. In 1736 he purchased a tract of land containing over eleven hundred acres from the Penns, and New Providence eventually developed on the southern portion of this tract. John Taylor probably did not settle here, his purchase apparently being speculative. He sold the tract in small sections to different persons. Among the ultimate owners of land in New Providence were Jacob Eshelman and Christian Shultz. An early landowner within the village limits, or just beyond, was a man whose land patent was made out in the name of Powpather, but who in subsequently conveying to his children recorded the patronymic as Brubaker.
Besides the hotel, there was early erected a grist mill nearby. It was destroyed by fire long prior to 1900, but upon its site later stood a chopping mill and subsequently a saw mill. The first smithy was owned by Henry Eckman; David Miller built a woolen mill in the village in about 1816, and a grist mill in about 1825. Howry and Eshelman built a hotel in 1825, Richard Kerns being one of the first landlords. In the building Dr. Semple had a store, not merely a drug store, but one of general stock; he was the first merchant to open in the village. Dr. Robinson followed, and later merchants were David Bair (in 1831), John Rice and Jacob Stoutzenberger, John Peoples (1847), John Bair, Groff Brothers, John Rohrer, John Tweed, Raub Brothers and others. John Hildebran purchased the old log hotel in 1846, and razed it, building upon its site a store building. He continued as a merchant almost for the remainder of his life. The New Providence post-office was first opened in 1834, Christian Wenditz carrying the mail to Strasburg once a week on foot. Ultimately daily service was established, and with the opening of the Lancaster and Quarryville railroad a morning and evening service. The first postmaster was Jacob Stoutzenberger. Forty years ago New Providence had a flouring and grist mill, owned by Gabriel Smith & Sons, several retail stores, a lumber yard, a leaf tobacco plant, and a woolen mill. To-day there is a mill, a carriage maker, a harness maker, some general stores, lumber and coal yards, hotel, pump works, smithy and tobacco plant. The population is about three hundred.
Smithville grew around an inn, or rather the inn constituted Smithville for many decades, for the whole business of the hamlet was conducted under its, for long the only, roof. The hotel, known as the Spread Eagle, was erected in 1810 by John Blair; John Hamil was the first landlord. In 1818 the Smith family purchased it. Smithville now has a population of about 250, it is said; has two general stores, a lumber yard and a mill nearby.
Other historic taverns of Providence township include the Blue Bell, which was opened somewhat earlier than the Spread Eagle by Jane Sargen, and so centrally situated in the township that elections were generally held in that house; the Hickory Grove, on the Lancaster and Port Deposit road, south of the Blue Bell, and opened in 1858, with John Riley as landlord; and the Union on the western side of the township, on the Lancaster and Rawlinsville road. The Union Hotel was built by Jacob Eshleman, and used by him for some years also as a store.
The industrial history of Providence township must make some reference to an old furnace in the western part of the township. For a century it was a conspicuous landmark, and the story is that in Revolutionary days cannon balls were cast at that spot and hauled by teams to Wilmington, Delaware. One day, at the time the ironworkers were preparing to cast, the alarm was given that the English were near. The cast was postponed, and the molten mass chilled, the furnace thus becoming useless. The ironworkers are credited with the patriotic resolution to let the iron chill and so render the furnace useless, rather than see it pass into the hands of the English and be used to make more cannon balls by them. The furnace was never afterwards used.
One of the first mills in the county was built where in 1857 Martin Huber erected another grist mill. It passed from him to John Strohm, Jr., who became one of the prominent citizens and public servants of Providence; he was county commissioner for a time. His father, John Strohm, had an even more distinguished record, serving in the State Legislature and Senate for eleven years, 1831-42, and in the National Congress for two terms, 1845-49. Near Strohm's mill was another, to the southward; it was built in about 1813 by Henry Breneman. Both were on Furnace run, and there in earlier days iron smelting was carried on, Breneman's mill, of stone, being built mostly of materials taken from the old furnace. North of Strohm's, on the same stream is a woolen mill, not the first upon the same site; it was built by Cyrus Royer.
John Peoples was one of the leading early merchants at New Providence. He was responsible for much of the building of the place; and others of the same family have been of prominent record. Hiram Peoples was elected to the Legislature twice. The pioneer physician was Dr. Daniel Musser, who settled there to practice about ninety-five or a hundred years ago, but did not stay long. Dr. Duncan came in 1830; Dr. Rollins in about 1844; Dr. Benjamin Musser soon afterwards; Dr. John K. Raub in 1856; Dr. W. J. Wentz soon afterwards; and Dr. A. H. Helm in 1868. The first township officers of Providence township were: Thomas Redman, supervisor, 1854-55; Benjamin F. Rowe, assessor; Benjamin H. Witmer, justice; George Martin, Tobias Brubaker and N. K. Look, school directors.
Pioneer school teachers were Moore Connell and George Evans, who taught as early as 1800 in a log school house which stood near to the Molar Mine Bank, in the southeastern part of the township. Among later worthy teachers in the same school house was Abraham Brubaker. The public schools of today in Providence township are equal to those of most of the other townships of Lancaster county.
The population of Providence township is decreasing slightly." In 1900 it was 1,680 in 1910 the Federal census taking showed 1,512 inhabitants; and the late census credited Providence township with only 1,383 residents. This includes the villages.