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Eleventh Generation
1640. Johannes LIGHT was born in 1682 in Switzerland.
He died on 19 Nov 1759 in Lebanon County, PA. JGF RC (RC gives the
date of 1737 for immigration and the name John Peter Light. This information
from an obit. of his ancestor John O. Light. A 100th Anniversary book for Leaf
River, IL indicates a date of Aug. 30, 1737. JL2 indicates that there is a John
Peter Light who immigrated on this date to Phil. and settled in Lancaster Co.,
PA) (GM2 gives that John's middle name was Peter as does the obit. of RC's ancestor)
Born in the Palatinate or Switzerland. Immigrated on the ship "Winter Galley",
Edward Paynter, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Deal arriving Sept. 5, 1738
in Philadelphia. Married Maria, 1692~ 1758.11.12,, (i1738.9.5)^ Buried in the
Light Cem. at 11th and Monument St. Lebanon. The cem. became that of the Salem
United Brethren Church. When those buried there were moved to Ebenezer Cemetery,
John and his wife were left behind Mennonite. Immigrant from the Palatinate settling
in what is now Lebanon Co., PA at the old Light fort in the city of Lebanon.
The old home is just west of the corner of Tenth and Maple Streets. The land
was purchased in 1738 by Johannes Licht from Casper Wister. The home was built
in 1743. There is a cellar that once held sixty families. There was an old burial
plot located between Weidman and Lehman Streets, east of Third,near to or part
of what was the old Fair Grounds. The plot was moved to the Ebenezer cemetery,
about a mile to the northwest of town. ERP2 Son Jacob purchased his father's
bible and recorded his father's date of death as 1759.3.5.
He immigrated to America on September 5, 1738 arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
along with 252 Palatines on the ship Winter Galley, Edward Paynter, Master from
Rotterdam, last from Deal. Johannes acquired 274 acres on December 29, 1738 located
on the Brandywine Creek, a branch of the Quittapahilla in Lebanon Twp., Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania from Casper Wistar and his wife Catharine. The southern
boundary of the Light tract was Church Street and the eastern boundary was Seventh
Street.
John Light, the immigrant, erected in 1742 a large limestone building in Lebanon
at what is now 11th and Maple Streets. This large building was used as a place
of worship by the Mennonites. It also served as a fort during the French and
Indian War. Due to its large size this Light Fort was a place of safety for the
women and children of the surrounding area. This fort is now 222 years old and
still stands seemingly solid as a rock.
A large area immediately surrounding the fort was used for livestock and equipment.
It was enclosed by a strong stockade type picket fence over 7 feet high. The
pickets were strong oak posts driven deeply and solidly into the ground. The
only entrance was barred with a strong heavy gate. The roof of the fort was covered
with thick oaken slabs for safety and security. There are hundreds of stories
concerning the fort. One story concerns a raid on the fort by an Indian Scalping
Party when the men were away. The Indians succeeded in getting through the gate
into the yard area where Anna Light was boiling soap. Anna quickly realized it
was raid and she ran inside the fort and secured the windows and the doors. Unable
to enter, the Indians managed to put one of their number on the roof. He tried
to set fire to the plank roof and failed, next he tried to reach the inside by
sliding down the chimney. These sturdy frontier women inside the fort proceeded
to arm themselves with knives and other weapons at hand. Brave Anna Light,. detected
the Indians motive so she quickly stoked up the fire with straw and wood to drive.
him out of the chimney, then armed with a knife stood guard in front of the fireplace.
"After the French and Indian War was over this old Light, Fort, was better
know as Lights Indian Fort and still later it was known as the Old Distillery
on the Union Canal. After the war the appearance of the building was somewhat
changed, the fort type slit windows were enlarged. The Draw well in the cellar
which was spring fed and gave up a generous supply of water for many years was
dried up prior 1892.
"Although the Fort still stands on underground tunnel which ran from the
fort to the Creek. Then to Tenth and Willow Streets and finally ending at Eighth
and Cumberland Streets has entirely disappeared. The tunnel was constructed of
stone, logs and planks covered by ground and underbrush. John G. Meyer says the
tunnel was large enough in diameter for 2 men to pass each other but it was so
shallow that one had to crawl or walk through in a stooped position. Except for
a few clearings like the one at Eighth and Cumberland Street and the site of
the fort, this whole area. was a heavy woods.
"When the Indians would attack the town the people would run to the building
at Eighth and Cumberland Street, enter the tunnel and travel through it to Lights
Fort. Sometimes when the Fort and the town was under heavy attack the defending
settlers would confuse the Indians by entering and appearing from the tunnel
at Eight and Cumberland St., at Tenth and Willow Streets and at the Creek.
"After the war, a school was built at Tenth and Willow Streets which was
known as ''Boys High School''. (This site of the present Stevens School.) From
here the tunnel ran up to Eighth and Cumberland Street and opened into a cellar
in a pre-revolutionary house owned by Peter Shindel. While the Boys school was
in existence some of the more adventuresome boys played in the tunnel and trave1ed
from end to end. Old accounts say the tunnel was closed in the Seventies, however
in the old courthouse cellar there can still be seen the walled up aperture which
led into the tunnel.
Johannes Light died interstate (without a will) therefore his children inherited
his property equally. The children sold their portions to brother Jacob. Somehow
the land came into the hands of Henry, brother of Jacob, since the land is conveyed
to the children of Henry by their father's will dated April 7, 1803 and completed
on May 18, 1807.
These two transactions establish the children of Johannes, along with their spouses
names, as well as the children of Henry and their spouses. Johannes'land was
divided at death between Jacob and Henry (eastern part to Jacob). 1641.
Maria KREIDER was born in 1692 in Bayern, Germany. She died
on 12 Nov 1758. Children were:
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