Biglerville: Not a Crossroads Town

Biglerville, originally called Middletown (also known as Sugartown), was not established as a crossroads town. Around 1756, the “Menallen Road” extended to the Menallen Friends Meeting House, near Friend’s Grove. The road ended just before entering the boundary of land called Opossum Creek Manor, which was an area preserved by the Penn family to generate an income. Later this road continued to and through the town to the Gettysburg – Shippensburg Road.

About 1808, the road led to Arendtsville. By 1836, another road was made by joining several short trails in the direction of the Menallen area, now the road from Biglerville to Bendersville. This road was known as the Gettysburg – Newville Road.

The town struggled to prosper until 1884, when the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad began its operation. At the time of the Civil War, Biglerville, still known as Middletown, had the following commercial enterprises in the town:

Saddle and harness making – Thomas Blocher
Wheelwright – Jesse Ebert
General Store – James Pensyl
Traveler’s Rest Inn – John Rether
General Store – John Peters
Blacksmith Shop – H. Slaybaugh
Brickyard – John Rether
Blacksmith – John Rether
Marble Works
Steam Hub Factory

In 1903, the town’s name was changed from Middletown to Biglerville in honor of Colonel William Bigler, who served as twelfth governor of Pennsylvania and who was born in neighboring Cumberland County.