S​outhampton Historical Society

1625-Thomas Powell's Expedition followed the waterways from Jamestown, Virginia to this area

1728- First 13 settlers arrived

1737-Joseph Powell built a Trading Post on Little Sweet Root, about the same time his cousin Robert Ray opened his Trading Post near Bedford

1737-Huff discovered Saltpetre Cave in Sweet Root Gap

1764-Mason and Dixon were commissioned to survey and mark the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania

1758- Indians invaded Chaneysville

1758-Fort Bedford was constructed

1766-Village of Bedford was surveyed, Bedford was named for the Duke of Bedford, before that time it was known as Raystown, probably because of Robert Ray

1771-Bedford County was formed on March 9th of that year

1784-Two Methodist Preachers arrived in Beans Cove

1787-Pennsylvania became the 2nd state, eventually it was divided into 67 counties

1799-Southampton Twp. was organized

1806-First log school was built

1830-Thomas Chaney Jr. built the first inn/tavern in what became the Village of Chaneysville

1840-Monroe Twp. seceded from Southampton Twp. and Providence Twp.

1862-Confederate cavalry scouts entered Black Valley from Flintstone, Md. and camped near Chaneysville

1869-New framed schools were built

1876-Mann Twp. was erected from Southampton Twp.

1879-Hewitt Covered Bridge was approved for use

1921-Forester W. Byers had the Martin Hill Fire Tower built

1930-Someone started a fire on Tussey Mt. that burned 1150 acres on May 4th

1935-CCC camps were established in Sweet Root and Blankley Parks

1949-P.T.A. was organized

1957-Sweet Root Park opened in July

1960-Chaneysville Volunteer Fire Company received their charter in January

1981-David Bradley wrote the novel "The Chaneysville Incident" a story of 13 runaway slaves who passed through Chaneysville

1986- Mabel Hoffman sponsored by the Chaneysville Seniors was crowned "Ms. Senior Pa." (honoring women 60 and over) in Nov. at Hershey, Pa.

1987-April 1st in Atlantic City, Mabel Hoffman won the title of "Ms. Senior America"

2000-Hewitt Covered Bridge restored

2002-On March 16th the Martin Hill Fire Tower was quietly sold and removed.

2002-Chaneysville and Hewitt were included (with photos) in an article written about the Mason-Dixon Line by Anna & Lou Leopold for the June/August issue of the magazine "Westsylvania"

2004-Fire destroyed most of the "hotel" that Thomas Chaney had built

2007-Feb. 15th the Everett Area School Board voted to close Chaneysville-Cove Elementary School at the end of the school term

2007-March 14th Headlines from the Bedford Gazette read "Chaneysvlle parents file complaint; Group hires lawyer to review closing of elementary school"

2007-Friday, July 13 the Honorable Judge Howsare ruled the Everett school board's action was "an abuse of discretion" and Chaneysville-Cove Elementary will remain open

2007-The following week the school board put an automatic supersdeas on Judge Howsare's July 13th ruling, thus the school will be closed and the children will be bused over Tussey Mountain, unless...

2007- August 17th Save Small Schools won once again against the school board when the Honorable Judge Howsare ordered the automatic supersedeas would be lifted and Chaneysville-Cove Elementary would be opened August 29th

2007-August 29th the doors of Chaneysville-Cove Elementary opened as they had since 1954, the only difference was the bus routes

 

2008-At the end of school term in June Chaneysville-Cove was closed and K-12 were bused around the mountain to the schools in Everett

 

2008-The Southampton Township acquired the former Chaneysville-Cove Elem.

2008- March-DSL was finally offered in the Chaneysville area

2010- Southampton Historical Society was formed... 1st project...restore Point Pleasant 2-room School.

2011-SHS 1st newsletter the "Southampton Times" was sent to everyone owning land in the township