Hamlet Histories, Part 2 (Heidlersburg, Idaville, Menallen, Mount Tabor)

Heidlersburg

Located at the crossroads of PA Route 234 and Old Harrisburg Road
Encompasses .7 square miles in Tyrone Township
Originally called Starrytown after Michael Starry, who erected the first building
Founded and renamed for John Heidler in 1812
Neither Heidler nor Starry were among the first settlers
General Rodes’ confederate troops camped here the night of June 30, 1863
Stewart Wesley Woods, a local resident, fought with the 54th Massachusetts United States Color Troops during the Civil War.
Heidlersburg residents John Durbin Saddler and Sam Sheets, along with 29 others from the vicinity. mustered into federal service in 1861 as Company K, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, 30th Infantry. They would participate in eight campaigns including Gettysburg and were the only unit from Adams County to fight in defense of their home, which would earn them the title “The Boys Who Came Home to Fight.”

Sources: Wikipedia; hmdb.org; The History of Cumberland and Adams County 1886, Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society

Idaville

Located along PA Route 34.
A census-designated place which starts at Adams-Cumberland line and stretches for 1 mile, ending at the Bermudian Creek
Formerly called Middletown, New Town, Smyers Town, M’Grewsburg, and Whitestown
Named Idaville in 1850 when post office was established and named after either two-year old Ida Markley or seven-year old Ida Sheets.
Population as of the 2020 census was 176

Sources: Wikipedia; History of Cumberland and Adams County 1886; History of Adams County 1700-1990 by Robert L. Bloom; History, Tidbits, Morsels by Larry Kennedy

Menallen Township

Settled and Incorporated in 1849
Named after an older variant spelling of Moyallen, in what is now Northern Ireland
Covers 42.8 square miles
“There are many mountain streams coursing through the township, bringing a wealth of water to the higher lands and affording a full supply to the settlers in the valley” usgwarchives.net
Was home to State Senator William A. Martin (1842-1922), who served in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. The “Martin Farm” is on the corner of Shippensburg Road and Wenksville Road.

Sources: Wikipedia; library.pasen.gov

Mt. Tabor

An unincorporated community in Menallen Township

Once had a store which was involved in fur trading

Sources: Wikipedia, Larry Kennedy