The history of early Pequea is given in Conestoga township chapter, for until 1853 the territory which now comprises Pequea township was a part of Conestoga. Pequea township lies to the southward of the county seat, Lancaster, between Pequea and Conestoga creeks. West Lampeter township line is the northeastern boundary of Pequea, Providence township line is the southeastern, Martic is the southern, Conestoga township is the southwestern, and the north and northwestern line borders the town of Lancaster. The soil is fertile; in fact, Pequea township land is among the best in the county for agricultural purposes. The surface is slightly undulating, but not difficult to cultivate, and some very valuable farming estates are to be found in that region. The two historic waters, Conestoga and Pequea, with tributaries, give water and drainage, and the Lancaster & Quarryville railway, which passes through the township from northwest to southeast, gives a transportation outlet.
So much has been stated regarding the very earliest days of the ancient Conestoga township, which included Pequea, in the sketch of the former, that lengthy reference is not here necessary. Briefly, the early settlers in the Pequea part of Conestoga township included the Bare (Bear), Behm, Bachman, Breneman, Burkholder, Deitrich, Forry, Goehenauer, Good, Harnish, Hachman, Hess, Huber, Haberstitch, Newcomer, Mehaffy, Snavely, Stetler, Kindig families. The early assessment lists of the first years of the Republic show that among the landholders in what is now Pequea township were: John Bare, who in 1780 owned 216 acres of land in the northwestern part of the township; Jacob Bare, his brother, owned 200 acres nearby; John Behm (Beam) owned 90 acres; John Bachman, who lived north of what is now Willow Station, owned two acres; Jacob Breneman owned 100 acres one mile west of (now) West Willow village; Adam Breneman owned x5o acres nearby; John Burkholder owned i84 acres in that vicinity; Henry Deitrich owned 198 acres near West Willow, the railroad passing through part of it; Christian Forry owned 250 acres near West Willow Station; Jacob Gochenauer owned 130 acres in the lower end of what is now Pequea township; Henry Goehenauer had fifty acres in the eastern part of the township; Peter Good lived in the lower end, on 150 acres; John Good owned 65 acres near his brother's estate; John Harnish was assessed on 445 acres; Jacob Harnish, Jr., had 100 acres; Michael Harnish had as much, part in the original Harnish holdings being still in the possession of that family; Melchor Hachman owned 100 acres southwest of the village of West Willow; John Hess had 60 acres near the township line in the southwest; John Huber owned 60 acres near what is now Pequea Station; Michael Haberstich was in the northwest part, possessed of 250 acres; Abram Newcomer owned 200 acres just west of where the Mehaffys live; John Mehaffy's land was near West Willow Sta- tion, and later passed to Tobias Landis; Benjamin Snavely, son of Christian Snavely, who settled where West Willow developed, was a blacksmith in that place; Abram Kindig (Kendig) was one of the pioneer settlers, locating on the farm that was later owned by the Harnishes. Kindig possessed 175 acres in 1780; the Warfels date their settlement in Conestoga back to the earliest decades, when George Warfel, who was born in Germany in 1715, settled.
Centers of Population-The communities of Pequea township include the villages of West Willow and New Danville. West Willow is nearly midway along the northern boundary line of the township, and from about 1875 a station on the Lancaster & Quarryville railroad. Christian Snavely estab- lished a tavern at that point in the early settlement days, and very slowly a hamlet developed. Pioneer settlers were John Mehaffy and the Harnish family, but as late as 1820 there were not twelve dwelling houses within what is now the village area. However, the village gradually progressed, and when the railroad passed through the township, the right of the community to a rail- way station was recognized. With railway facilities gained, the village was given added impetus for growth, and by comparison with other villages of Lancaster county has shown health and vigor. In 1880 the population was about 150,; in 1920 it is said the village possessed about 400 inhabitants. The pioneer merchant was Henry Huber; his store was in what is now the eastern part of the village. Successors in that part of the town were Peter Zercher, Jacob Charles and Dr. Green. The old Huber store stood where the residence of Martin Miley later was built. The store house of Jacob Charles eventual became the church of the United Brethren congregation. A. W. Harnish built and kept a store in the building near the railroad station later occupied by Andrew Mehaffy, Jr., as a cigar factory. The successors of Harnish were Stoner and Joseph Herr and Brother. In 1883 Henry S. Herr, who built the Herr Block in 1877, bought the business. Charles D. Nixdorf has the general store at West Willow now. Christian Snavely had the first tavem. His successors were Benjamin Snavely, John Overbach and Benjamin Raugh. Micha Harnish later made his residence there. Benjamin Martin was the first tavern keeper on the site of the present hotel. The brick West Willow Hotel was erected in 1878. The pioneer blacksmith also was Christian Snavely (Sneverly) He and his son Benjamin carried on the smithy probably for sixty or more years. A. H. Harnish was the first station agent, West Willow station being opened in the spring of 1875. The old coal and lumber yard established by Andrew Mehaffy, and sold to W. G. Mellinger and Brother in 1878, is still owned by the Mellingers, who also latterly have operated a leaf tobacco factory, and have, a business also at Baumgartner. West Willow was officially recognized by that name in 1879, when a post-office was established in the place and entered in Federal records as West Willow post-office. Henry Herr was first postmaster.
New Danville, in the northwestern part of the township, was original known as Stumptown, and was given the more dignified name at the time post-office was established in the village, the reason for so naming the postown being, it is said, that the given or Christian name of so many of the male inhabitants was Daniel. It is not possible from available data to state when the town or village was first named. The place is about four miles from the city of Lancaster, and there was much traffic along the road. Several taverns have been operated at New Danville. The first probably was that of Christian Zercher, which was opened in the building later used as a store by Jacob B. Miller. Mr. Zercher's successors were John Zercher, Jacob Heine Michael Zercher and Daniel Grofft, the last landlord. Zercher's inn was opened before1830. Another inn had been kept for ten year prior to 1830 the house later used as a dwelling house by John L. Breneman. Daniel Conrad was an innkeeper in Stumptown from about 1840, in the house later occupied as a residence by Abram R. Harnish.
The first store was that kept by John Rohrer, and he may have been the original innkeeper. He sold his store business to John Zercher, who transferred it to his hotel. Henry Herr soon afterwards opened a store, but both were soon closed. In 1856 Daniel Conrad, Jr., and Benjamin Yerdy (Yourdy) opened a store. Later merchants were William T. Youatt, Robert Green, Henry Conrad and Jacob B. Miller. The wagonmakers have included Jacob Oyman, Andrew Zercher, Benjamin Johnson, Joseph Miller, John Ellmyer, John D. Stauffer and Abram Snavely. Others who have carried on another shop have been Daniel Conrad, Jr., Charles Riddle, Amos Harnish and John D. Stauffer. Blacksmiths include Daniel, Benjamin, George and Henry Conrad, James Johnson, Samuel Hess, Benjamin D. Morton, Jacob Johnson, William Rote, Daniel Hess, George Lutz, John Myers, H. S. Hersh, Albert S.Hersh. New Danville now has a population of about one hundred; and its business consists of a tavern, a general store, two smithies, two meat markets, an implement establishment and a shoe shop.
The churches of Pequea township today include the Stone Mennonite, the Byerland Mennonite, the Pequea Mennonite, the West Willow United Brethren, the Pequea Church of Brethren, and the historic Boehm's Methodist Episcopal Church.