Casper Reeter settled 100 acres of land - 1765 in what is now Bethel Twp., Lebanon Co., PA

At that time it was Lancaster county in the colony of Pennsylvania.  Today it is in Lebanon County Pennsylvania about 40 miles east of Harrisburg, the state capitol, on interstate 81.  This land is currently divided by interstate 81 and the county line between Schuylkill and Lebanon Counties.  The land does not appear on any warrant or patent register for colonial Pennsylvania because of the method of gaining ownership avoided the normal process !

Many settlers on the frontier just squatted on land.  They built their home and cleared land for farming.  The Penn family wished to collect rent from people in their colony so they accepted applications beginning August 1, 1766. This little known way of obtaining title to your land in colonial PA was called the "East Side Application" process.

William

The survey was dated 8 May 1766 numbered A-40-149.  The land was not patented until 11 Mar 1831 and by then the owner was William Power.  The land office notes dated 16th August 1765 describe 200 acres "over the blue Mountains on Swatara Creek and Trout Creek and Land adjoining the United Brethern in Lancaster county".  The survey itself (Book A40 page 149)  says "By virtue of an Application No 538 dated the 16 th August 1765, surveyed the 8th day of May 1766 unto Casper Reeter the above described tract of land situate in Bethel Township Lancaster County containing one hundred and one Acres & allowance of Sixs?".  The diagram shows neighbors of William Poor, Moravian land, Thos Clark.  The Moravian land is actually over the line in Schuylkill county. who are Wiedman, Bohr / Poor, Feeser

People who also applied for East Side Applications in August 1865

 date  Applicant Twp

 

Aug 1765

 8/1/65   Orendorff, Herman     Lebanon

 8/1/65   Weyble, Adam           Lebanon

 8/5/65   Grandadam, Francis   Lebanon

 8/5/65   Myer, John                So. Annville

 8/5/65   Stealey, John             Bethel

 8/5/65   Traxell, John              Londonderry

 8/5/65   Weltmore, Ulrich       Londonderry

 8/7/65   Steily, Ulrich             Bethel

 8/16/65  Reeter, Casper        Bethel

 8/27/65  Albert, Susanah       Bethel

 Who claims this Casper ?  John Casper Stover's church in  records for 1763  obviously belong to this person.  That includes the marriage of Regina Gerhart to Caspar Roeder May 21, 1763 !  This preacher covered a large area in his circuit including the West side of the Susquehana river.  My Casper Rader obtained title to his land in East Pennsboro township by the same method.  The above marraige record has been claimed by researchers as my Casper.    There are the towns of Roedersville and Roeders, Schuylkill co., within 10 miles of the above land.  These towns span the area of several townships; Pinegrove, Washington, Wayne and South Manheim.

The tax records for Pine Grove township, Schuylkill Co., exist for 1752, 1772, 1775, 1782 and 1790.  They don't include any Raders of any spelling.  Schuylkill county was formed from Berks county in 1811.   There are not any Raders in the 1790 census for Berks county.

Hanover Township, Lancaster Co., PA

1769 John Brunner Collector East End of Hanover collected a tax of 2.6 from Reader, Casper

 Bethel twp, Lancaster Co., PA Gerharts in Tax rolls

1771 Conrad Gerhart  100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 0 servants, 4.6 tax (PArch3-17;157)

1772 Conrad Gerhart  140 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 0 servants, 4.6 tax (PArch3-17;237)

1773 Conrad Gerhart  130 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 0 servants, 4.6 tax (PArch3-17;386)

1779 George Gebhard  100 acres 1 horse, 3 cattle (PArch3-17, p 681)