107-689: The Conrad Weiser Homestead was the home of Johann Conrad Weiser , who enlisted the Iroquois on the British side in the French and Indian War . The home is located near Womelsdorf , Berks County , Pennsylvania in the United States . A designated National Historic Landmark , it is currently administered as a historic house museum by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission . The historic site
214-489: A German Seventh Day Baptist preacher. For six years, he lived at the monastic settlement, Ephrata Cloister , in the Ephrata Township , Lancaster County, Pennsylvania . His wife lived there only a few months before returning to their farm. Weiser would visit her frequently enough, however, to father four more children. In addition, he took leaves of absence for diplomatic duties, such as those in 1736 and 1737. Weiser left
321-756: A Lt. Colonel. Working with Benjamin Franklin , he planned and established a series of forts between the Delaware and Susquehannah rivers. When General Forbes evicted the French from Fort Duquesne in 1758, the threat subsided. Following its victory in the Seven Years War , Britain later gained all French territory east of the Mississippi River at the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Weiser died on his farm on July 13, 1760, and
428-561: A buffer against Connecticut." The French and Indian War brought fighting to much of the region. The Delaware Indian residents of Shamokin remained neutral for much of the early part of the war, in part because a drought and unseasonable frost in Shamokin in 1755 left them without provisions. However, the Delaware Indians at Shamokin joined the war against Pennsylvania and the English after
535-792: A daughter of Johan Peter Feg and Anna Maria Risch. (Anna Eve Feck was born January 25, 1705, in Schoharie County, New York, and died June 11, 1781, in Womelsdorf, Berks County, Pennsylvania.) In 1729 the couple followed the Susquehanna River south out of New York and settled their young family on a farm in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania near present-day Reading . The couple had fourteen children, of whom only seven reached adulthood. Weiser's colonial service began in 1731. The Iroquois sent Shikellamy , an Oneida chief, as an emissary to other tribes and
642-462: A discharge from the Blue Dragoons and moved back to the family ancestral home of Gross Aspach . Fever claimed the life of his mother, Anna Magdalena, in 1709 after war, pestilence, and an unusually cold and long winter ravaged the lands. Wallace notes that Conrad Weiser (senior) wrote for his children, "Buried beside Her Ancestors, she was a god-fearing woman and much loved by Her neighbors. Her motto
749-402: A few months before returning to their farm. Weiser visited her frequently enough to father four more children. In addition, he took leaves of absence from the monastery for diplomatic duties, such as those he performed for the colony of Pennsylvania in 1736 and 1737. Like many other colonists, Weiser combined farming with other trades: tanner, merchant, and land speculator. He drew the plan for
856-460: A follower of Conrad Beissel , a German Baptist preacher and musician who founded what became known as the Ephrata Cloister , a Protestant monastic settlement in the Ephrata Township , Lancaster County, Pennsylvania . Most people were encouraged to be celibate, although there were also married couples at the community. Weiser lived there for periods over six years. His wife lived there only
963-501: A key player in treaty negotiations, land purchases, and the formulation of Pennsylvania's policies toward Native Americans. Because of his early experiences with the Iroquois , Weiser was inclined to be sympathetic to their interpretation of events, as opposed to the Lenape or the Shawnee. This may have exacerbated Pennsylvanian - Lenape / Shawnee relations. Their alliance with the French during
1070-478: A lack of inter-municipal coordination and cooperation, a changing employment base and a dearth of jobs paying a living wage, out-migration of young people, an aging population, the need for workforce development, and an inequitable local tax structure. The Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way in 2006 commissioned a study regarding what matters most in area communities. They found that some major concerns were alcohol and drug use among all age groups and its effects on
1177-814: A local militia to quell Indian uprisings during the American phase of the Seven Years' War , and was appointed Colonel of the First Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment a year later. Exempting some Berks County locals and various individuals with genealogical ties to this man, few are conscious about the relevance, let alone the existence, of Conrad Weiser. Weiser was born in Astaat, Germany in 1696. His family migrated to America in 1710, settling in New York State. It
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#17330852413031284-443: A major role in the history of colonial Pennsylvania . The Conrad Weiser Homestead is located on Rt. 422, within easy driving distance of Philadelphia , Lancaster , Hershey and Harrisburg . The Conrad Weiser Homestead includes period buildings, and a new orientation exhibit, on a 26-acre (110,000 m) Olmsted-designed landscaped park. Conrad Weiser ’s historical contributions to Pennsylvania simply cannot be overlooked. Weiser
1391-503: A market study, phase II environmental study, wetland review, traffic impact study and title survey. The site, an 11.6-acre (47,000 m ) former rail yard and plastic manufacturing plant, is to be developed into four, 2-acre (8,100 m ) shovel ready sites. It was suggested that the redevelopment of this facility will result in the creation of 120 jobs. The site was purchased by Moran Industries, based in Watsontown, for $ 200,000. Moran
1498-511: A peace between southern tribes and the Iroquois. Some of the latter tribes had been hunting in the Shenandoah Valley. Weiser and his German companion, Stoffel Stump, had to survive high snow, freezing temperatures, and starvation rations to make the six-week journey in winter to what was considered the Iroquois capital at Onondaga , in upstate New York near present-day Syracuse. Weiser persuaded
1605-399: A separate county from Lancaster in which the town of Reading would be located. His wish was granted, as the county of Berks was created in 1752. Additionally, Weiser was appointed the county’s first justice of the peace. The American segment of the Seven Years' War erupted in 1754. An incident in 1755 known as the “ Penn’s Creek Massacre ” left several colonials dead and many others missing in
1712-779: A series of land ownership treaties between the Pennsylvania colonists and the Indians. Weiser was able to maintain fairly stable relations between the Pennsylvania government and the Iroquois Nation during the 1730s and 1740s. Weiser’s success in mediating Indian/Colonial politics established a tremendous ethos of credibility in the eyes of the Pennsylvania Government. Weiser was appointed Lancaster County Magistrate in 1741, thrusting him into his first “official” role in colonial government. He continued to negotiate territorial matters with
1819-516: A soldier and judge. He lived part of the time for six years at Ephrata Cloister , a Protestant monastic community in Lancaster County. As an emissary in councils between Native Americans and the colonies, especially Pennsylvania, during the late 18th century's tensions of the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), he contributed to alliances that supported the British effort. Conrad Weiser
1926-659: A treaty of friendship between Pennsylvania and these tribes. Threatened by this development and the continued activity of British traders in the Ohio valley, the French redoubled their diplomatic efforts and began to build a string of forts, culminating in Fort Duquesne at present-day Pittsburgh , in 1754. In 1750, he traveled again to Onondaga, he found the political dynamics in the Six Nations had shifted. Canasatego, always pro-British, had died. Several Iroquois tribes were leaning toward
2033-609: A treaty with the Iroquois at Philadelphia, at which time they were paid for the land purchased in 1736. During this council, the Onondaga chief Canasatego castigated the Lenape for engaging in land sales, and ordered them to remove their settlements to either the Wyoming Valley or Shamokin village . This accelerated the Lenape migration to the Ohio Valley , which had begun as early as the 1720s. There, they would be positioned to trade with
2140-567: Is a family business that began making horse-drawn carriages in 1889 and now sells automobiles. The local public school system is the Shikellamy School District . There is a campus of Lackawanna College in the city. Shikellamy School District The Degenstein Community Library at 40 South Fifth Street provides books, DVDs, internet access, educational classes, summer reading, and adult programs. The Degenstein Community Library
2247-567: Is at 40°51′50″N 76°47′21″W / 40.86389°N 76.78917°W / 40.86389; -76.78917 (40.863894, -76.789174). It is located at the point where the west and north branches of the Susquehanna converge. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ), of which 2.1 square miles (5.4 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km ) (1.40%)
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#17330852413032354-655: Is home to the Beck House and the Northumberland County Courthouse . The Sunbury Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The first human settlement of Sunbury were likely Shawnee migrants. A large population of Delaware Indians was also forcibly resettled there in the early 18th century after they lost rights to their land in the Walking Purchase . Canassatego of
2461-496: Is inflated in May and deflated in the fall. The new waterfront development in Sunbury will provide a marina with transient boat docks, walking trails, gardens, an amphitheater and a new accessible fishing pier. Three acres of land will be added to the river side of the flood wall. The city offers baseball fields, a skating park, tennis courts, playgrounds, a community pool and a small park that
2568-413: Is located about 13 miles to the east. In 1745, Presbyterian missionary David Brainerd described the city as being located on both the east and west sides of the river, and on an island. Brainerd reported that the city housed 300 Indians, half of which were Delawares and the other Seneca and Tutelo. In 1754, much of the land west of the Susquehanna was transferred from the Six Nations to Pennsylvania at
2675-409: Is located outside of the city limits. Sunbury Motor Company is a family-owned and -operated company since 1915; it is on North 4th Street. The Squeeze-In on Market Street is an iconic business that sells hot dogs seven days a week with just five stools. The business is just 7.5 feet wide. Hot dogs are sold to-go out the service window. Serving hot dogs since 1945. Zimmerman Motors on Market Street
2782-619: Is next to the county courthouse, in the downtown area. A vacant building in the Shikellamy State Park along the river is under consideration for redevelopment as an environmental research and education center. Designed in the 1960s, the facility was originally the Basse Beck Environmental Center. It has been empty for several years. The city and state struggle economically, part of America's " Rust Belt ". A Brookings Institution publication has cited reasons including
2889-573: Is on a fee basis. The permanent exhibits deal with the site in prehistoric times, at the time of the Moravian Mission and blacksmith shop, and Fort Augusta during the French and Indian War and later under the Americans, during the Revolutionary War. The local newspaper is The Daily Item . There are a variety of local radio stations, including the all news/sports channel WKOK 1070 kHz AM,
2996-562: Is water. Sunbury is the largest principal city of the Sunbury-Lewisburg-Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Sunbury (Northumberland County), Lewisburg ( Union County ), and Selinsgrove ( Snyder County ) micropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 173,726 at the 2000 census . As of the census of 2010, there were 9,905 people, 4,540 households, and 2,637 families residing in
3103-589: The Albany Congress . However, Shamokin was not sold and was reserved by the Six Nations, "to settle such of our Nations as shall come to us from the Ohio or any others who shall deserve to be in our Alliance." According to Weslager, "the Pennsylvania authorities had no opposition to the Six Nations reserving Wyoming and Shamokin from the sale, since friendly Delawares, including Teedyuskung (also known as Teedyuscung ) and his people living in those settlements--and any other Indians who might be placed there--constituted
3210-539: The Comedy Central television series Tosh.0 in a recurring video category called Shithole of the Week , a segment in which host Daniel Tosh takes images or videos of various communities found online and will select the "Winner" based on the comedic negative features based in that community. The image that secured Sunbury's placement was a June 2020 video of a man spray painting "WIGHTE LIVES MATTER" on his personal fence with
3317-479: The French . This collapse of Native American support was a factor in the French decision to demolish Fort Duquesne and withdraw from the Forks of the Ohio. Throughout this decades-long career, Weiser's knowledge of Native American languages and culture made him a key player in treaty negotiations, land purchases, and the formulation of Pennsylvania's policies towards Native Americans. Because of his early experiences with
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3424-480: The French and Indian War in North America, Weiser was a member of a Pennsylvania delegation to Albany. The English government had called the meeting, hoping to win assurances of Iroquois support in the looming war with the French. The Iroquois and seven colonies sent representatives. Because of divisions within both the British and Native American ranks, the council did not result in the treaty of support which
3531-458: The Gnadenhütten massacre in 1755, and Shamokin was abandoned in May 1756. Pennsylvania Fort Augusta was built in 1756 on the former site of the village of Shamokin. The Bloody Spring is a historic site from the era. On March 21, 1772, Northumberland County was incorporated and subdivided. The settlement was named Sunbury that same year, and the present-day city of Sunbury identifies 1772 as
3638-532: The Mohawk in the upper Schoharie Valley. During his stay in the winter and spring of 1712–1713, Weiser learned much about the Mohawk language and the customs of the people, who were the easternmost tribe of the Iroquois League. He endured hardships of cold, hunger, and homesickness. Weiser returned to his own people toward the end of July 1713. On November 22, 1720, at the age of 24, Weiser married Anna Eve Feck,
3745-698: The Mohawk . Weiser impressed the Pennsylvania governor and council, which thereafter depended on his services as an interpreter. Weiser also interpreted in a follow-up council in Philadelphia in August, 1732. During the treaty in Philadelphia of 1736, Shikellamy, Weiser, and the Pennsylvanians negotiated a deed whereby the Iroquois sold the land drained by the Delaware River and south of the Blue Mountain . Since
3852-523: The Mohawks in the upper Schoharie Valley. During his stay with them in the winter and spring of 1712–1713, Weiser endured hardships of cold, hunger and homesickness, but he learned a great deal about the Mohawk language and the customs of the Iroquois . Conrad Weiser returned to his own people towards the end of July 1713. On November 22, 1720, at the age of 24, he married a young German girl, Anna Eve Feck. In 1723
3959-696: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission . Additionally, a multimillion-dollar fish ladder is being built across the river in Shamokin Dam to mitigate the impediment of the shad migration up the Susquehanna River caused by the annual inflation of the Adam T. Bower Fabri Dam. The Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam , an inflatable fabric-tube dam barrage impounding the Susquehanna River , creates the 3,000 acres (12 km ) Augusta Lake for recreation. It
4066-507: The cloister in 1741 after becoming disenchanted with the leadership of Beissel and returned to the Lutheran faith of his father. In addition, he followed a mixed career as a farmer, land owner and speculator, tanner, and merchant. He created the plan for the city of Reading in 1748, was a key figure in the creation of Berks County in 1752 and served as its Justice of the Peace until 1760. Conrad
4173-574: The Big Country Radio Network (WLGL 92.3 FM, WQBG 100.5 FM, and WWBE 98.3 FM) and WFYY Y106.5 FM and 94.1 WQKX. In the episode titled "Nixon vs. Kennedy" in first season of the AMC cable drama Mad Men a train supposedly carrying the unrecognizable body of Pvt. Dick Whitman, who was killed in the Korean War , arrives in Sunbury. The escort officer with the casket is said to be Lt. Don Draper, and
4280-415: The British over the French. During the winter of 1737, Weiser attempted to broker a peace between southern tribes and the Iroquois. Having survived high snow, freezing temperatures and starvation rations during the six-week journey to the Iroquois capital of Onondaga, he managed to convince the Iroquois not to send any war parties in the spring, but he failed to convince them to send emissaries to parlay with
4387-436: The British. Shikellamy lived on the Susquehanna River at Shamokin village , near present-day Sunbury, Pennsylvania . An oral tradition holds that Weiser met Shikellamy while hunting. In any case, the two became friends. When Shikellamy traveled to Philadelphia for a council with representatives of the province of Pennsylvania , he brought Weiser with him. The Oneida chief trusted him and considered him an adopted son of
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4494-653: The Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804–1806. In 1996, a daffodil was named for Weiser. Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury ( / ˈ s ʌ n b ɛr i / SUN -berr-ee ) is a city and the county seat of Northumberland County in Pennsylvania , United States. Located in the Susquehanna Valley , Sunbury is positioned on the east bank of the Susquehanna River . Sunbury's roots stretch back to
4601-505: The Delaware after the river they named after a lord) for the same land. Along with the Walking Purchase of the following year, this treaty (entered into by Penn's sons) exacerbated Pennsylvania- Lenape relations. The Lenape became disenchanted with the English colonials as a result; during the French and Indian Wars , they sided with the French and took part in armed actions against the colonists, causing many deaths. Penn's purchase persuaded
4708-618: The East and West Camps along the Hudson River , near Livingston Manor. It was not until 1723 that some 100 heads of families received land grants in the central Mohawk Valley , under Governor Burnetsfield. Weiser senior moved his family to the Schoharie Valley , south of the Mohawk River , earlier than that. When Conrad was 16, his father agreed to a chief's proposal for the youth to live with
4815-509: The Five Nations. This has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and by your observing the same methods, our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire such Strength and power. Therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out with one another." Benjamin Franklin printed this speech, which influenced American concepts of political unity. Significantly, after
4922-560: The French and Indian War. Route 422 in Berks County passes near the site. It contains original and historic buildings and the family graveyard on a 26 acres (0.11 km ) site. In 1928 the state contracted with the Olmsted Brothers to landscape some of the grounds. Due to state budget cutbacks since 2008, public access to the buildings has been limited to Charter Day; the first Sunday of each month; Wednesdays and both weekend days in
5029-415: The French from Fort Duquesne in 1758, the threat subsided. In 2008, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), proposed to close this and several other historic properties because of a budget deficit and relatively few paying visitors. Funding was cut in 2009, and several buildings closed. Since 2012, the buildings are opened on the first Sunday of every month, based on an agreement between
5136-486: The French, although the Mohawks remained pro-British. Early in the summer of 1754, on the eve of the French and Indian War, Weiser was a member of a Pennsylvania delegation to Albany. London had invoked the meeting, hoping to win assurances of Iroquois support in the looming war with the French. Present were representatives of the Iroquois and seven colonies. Because of divisions within both the British and Native American ranks,
5243-469: The French, and launch raids as far east as the Susquehanna River during the French and Indian Wars. In 1744, Weiser acted as the interpreter for the Treaty of Lancaster , between representatives of the Iroquois and the colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. During the final day of the treaty, on 1744-07-04, Canasatego , the Onondaga chief, spoke of the Iroquois concepts of political unity: "Our wise forefathers established Union and Amity between
5350-434: The Indians in this position. Then in 1748, Weiser was named one of the commissioners of the town of Reading, in which he bought a plot of land and built a second house. Weiser made several journeys to New York and Central Pennsylvania to attend to matters of Iroquois diplomacy. However, by 1752, Weiser had grown rather exhausted in negotiating with the Indians, and decided to attend to local affairs. Weiser desired to establish
5457-513: The Iroquois and other Native American tribes. Weiser helped smooth over the tense meeting. With the Treaty of Easton , the tribes in the Ohio Valley agreed to abandon support for the French. This collapse of Native American support was a factor in the French decision to demolish Fort Duquesne and withdraw from the Forks of the Ohio. Throughout his decades-long career, Weiser built on his knowledge of Native American languages and culture to become
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#17330852413035564-514: The Iroquois had not until then laid claim to this land, Pennsylvania's agreement to purchase from them represented a significant change in the colony's policy toward the Native Americans . William Penn , who had died in 1718, had never taken sides in disputes between tribes. By this formal purchase, the Pennsylvanians were favoring the Iroquois over the claims of the Lenape (whom the English called
5671-446: The Iroquois not to send any war parties south in the spring, but failed to convince them to send emissaries to parlay with the southern tribes. Impressed with his fortitude, the Iroquois named Weiser Tarachiawagon (Holder of the Heavens). The colonists feared that spill-over violence from conflicts between the Iroquois and southern tribes, such as the Catawba , would have drawn first Virginia, and then Pennsylvania, into conflict with
5778-426: The Iroquois, Weiser was inclined to be sympathetic to their interpretation of events, as opposed to the Lenape or the Shawnee. This may have exacerbated Pennsylvanian-Lenape/Shawnee relations, with bloody consequences in the French and Indian Wars. Nevertheless, for many years, he helped to keep the powerful Iroquois, or Six Nations , allied with the British as opposed to the French. This important service contributed to
5885-536: The Iroquois. Therefore, this peace-brokering had a profound effect on Native American /colonial relations. In 1742, Weiser interpreted at a treaty meeting between the Iroquois and English colonials at Philadelphia, when they were paid for the land purchased in 1736. During this council, the Onondaga chief Canasatego castigated the Lenape /Delawares for engaging in independent land sales. He ordered them to remove their settlements to either Wyoming (Wyomissing) or Shamokin village . The Lenape began to migrate to
5992-413: The Ohio Valley to escape the Iroquois and English colonial pressures; that migration had begun as early as the 1720s. There, they were positioned to trade with the French. At the same time, they launched raids as far east as the Susquehanna River during the French and Indian Wars . In June 1743, following conflict between Iroquois warriors and the Virginia militia at the Battle of Galudoghson , Weiser
6099-416: The Ohio Valley, but the Iroquois did not believe they had done so. In 1748, Pennsylvania sent Conrad Weiser to Logstown , a council and trade village on the Ohio River . Here he held council with chiefs representing 10 tribes, including the Lenape , Shawnee , and the six nations of the Iroquois . He arrived at a treaty of friendship between Pennsylvania and these tribes. Threatened by this development and
6206-408: The PHMC and the site's Friends. The park areas are open from dawn to dusk every day. Conrad Weiser Conrad Weiser (November 2, 1696 – July 13, 1760), born Johann Conrad Weiser, Jr. , was a Pennsylvania Dutch pioneer who served as an interpreter and diplomat between the Pennsylvania Colony and Native American nations. Primarily a farmer, he also worked as a tanner, and later served as
6313-445: The Palatine area. They traveled down the Rhine River and then to England, which had offered some support for the Protestant refugees. Thousands of Palatine German refugees made their way to London seeking escape from the harsh conditions; there were so many that the English had to make a camp for them outside the London walls for the winter. The following year in 1710, the Crown (under Queen Anne) arranged for transport in ten ships of
6420-409: The Pennsylvanians were favoring the Iroquois over the Lenape . Along with the Walking Purchase of the following year, his treaty exacerbated Pennsylvania-Lenape relations. The results of this policy shift would help induce the Lenape to side with the French during the French and Indian Wars , which would result in many colonial deaths. It did, however, help induce the Iroquois to continue to side with
6527-406: The Six Nations of the Iroquois to continue to side with the British over the French in that war. Also, by that time the Iroquois nations had more trading relationships with the English in New York and Pennsylvania than they did the French, who were based further north. During the winter of 1737, beginning February 27, Weiser was commissioned by Virginia Governor William Gooch to attempt to broker
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#17330852413036634-454: The Six Nations, enforcing the Walking Purchase of behalf of George Thomas, Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, ordered the Delaware Indians to go to two places on the Susquehanna River, one of which was present-day Sunbury. From 1727 to 1756, Sunbury was one of the largest and most influential Indian settlements in Pennsylvania. At that time, it was known as Shamokin , not to be confused with the present-day city of Shamokin, Pennsylvania , which
6741-414: The Treaty of Easton, which concluded the vast majority of Indian insurrection in the eastern third of Pennsylvania . He retired to his house in Reading after completion of this treaty and expired in 1760. Weiser’s body currently resides in a family burial plot to the west of what was believed to have been his house in the Tulpehocken area. Between 1734 and 1741, Weiser became a follower of Conrad Beissel ,
6848-406: The Treaty of Lancaster, both Virginia and Pennsylvania acted as if the Iroquois had sold them the rights to the Ohio Valley, but the Iroquois did not believe they had done so. In 1748, Pennsylvania sent Conrad Weiser to Logstown , a council and trade village on the Ohio River . Here he held council with chiefs representing 10 tribes, including Lenape and Shawnee , and the Iroquois . He arrived at
6955-405: The casket is met by Dick Whitman's adoptive mother, his half brother, Adam and his mother's second husband. In fact, the person killed in Korea was Don Draper, and Dick Whitman has switched identities with Draper. Though Dick Whitman posing as Draper attempts to hide, Adam Whitman sees him, recognizes him, and chases the train as it leaves the station. On September 29, 2020, Sunbury was featured on
7062-409: The city. The population density was 4,716.7 people per square mile. There were 4,864 housing units at an average density of 2,316.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of Sunbury in 2000 was 95.26% White , 1.29% African American , 0.14% Native American , 0.26% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 1.91% from other races , and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of
7169-434: The colonies of Pennsylvania , Maryland and Virginia . During the final day of the treaty council, on July 4, Canasatego, an Onondaga chief, spoke about the Iroquois concepts of political unity: Our wise forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations. This has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and by your observing
7276-549: The colonists kept pushing into western territories and encroaching on the various nations' hunting grounds and territories. Armed conflicts increased. Since the 20th century, the Conrad Weiser Homestead in Womelsdorf , has been partly administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and a supporters group known as Friends of the Weiser Homestead. It has been preserved to serve as an interpretive center for 18th-century farming, political and colonial history, and hosts regular re-enactments, especially of events during
7383-429: The colony most of the land remaining in present-day Pennsylvania, including the southwestern part that Virginia was also still claiming. In 1756, the government appointed Weiser and Ben Franklin to lead construction of a series of forts on the frontier between the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River. In the fall of 1758, Weiser attended a council at Easton, Pennsylvania . Colonial leaders from Pennsylvania met with
7490-412: The community, the dependency on social services and assistance across generations, and a lack of public transportation. It is the intention of the organization to focus spending on these issues. The Susquehanna Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) received $ 173,500 in planning grant funding (2005) to support the redevelopment of the Wilhold Manufacturing facility in Sunbury. The BOS funding paid for
7597-442: The continued activity of British traders in the Ohio Valley, the French redoubled their diplomatic efforts. In addition, they began to build a string of forts to protect their interests, culminating in Fort Duquesne in 1754 at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River. This is where present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania later developed. In 1750, Weiser traveled again to Onondaga , where he found
7704-455: The continued survival of the British colonies and the eventual victory of the British over the French in the French and Indian Wars. The Conrad Weiser Homestead is a Pennsylvania state historic site located in Womelsdorf , Berks County , Pennsylvania which interprets the life of Conrad Weiser . Weiser was an 18th-century German immigrant who served as an Indian interpreter and who helped coordinate Pennsylvania 's Indian policy. He played
7811-403: The council did not result in the treaty of support that the crown desired. Instead, each colony made the best deal it could with individual Iroquois leaders. Weiser was able to negotiate one of the more successful, in which some lower-level chiefs deeded to the colony most of the land remaining in present-day Pennsylvania, including the southwestern part, still claimed by Virginia. In 1756, Weiser
7918-629: The couple followed the Susquehanna River south and settled their young family on a farm in Tulpehocken near present-day Reading, Pennsylvania . The couple had fourteen children, but only seven reached adulthood. Weiser's colonial service began in 1731. The Iroquois sent Shikellamy, an Oneida chief, as an emissary to other tribes and the British. Shikellamy lived on the Susquehanna River at Shamokin village , near present-day Sunbury, Pennsylvania and Shikellamy State Park . An oral tradition holds that Weiser met Shikellamy while hunting . In any case,
8025-457: The crown desired. Instead, each colony made the best deal it could with individual Iroquois leaders. Not only did no single person speak for the Iroquois League, but bands in each nation acted in decentralized ways in this and other wars. No single chief represented any tribe when it was at war. Conrad Weiser negotiated one of the more successful agreements. Some lower-level chiefs deeded to
8132-510: The date of its establishment. It was named after Sunbury-on-Thames , a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne , England, just outside Greater London . Lorenzo Da Ponte , the librettist of Mozart and of Salieri, lived in Sunbury for some years after his arrival in America. In July 1883, American inventor Thomas Edison installed the first successful three-wire electric lighting system in at what
8239-498: The early 18th century. As of the 2010 census , it had a population of 9,905. The city is one of the three principal cities in the larger Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area . Sunbury is connected to inventor Thomas Edison . In 1883, the Hotel Edison became the first building in Sunbury to be illuminated by Edison's innovative three-wire electrical system. The hotel was later named in honor of Edison. Sunbury
8346-599: The frontier era. A family cemetery behind the house is the final resting place of Weiser, his wife Anna and many friendly Indian Chiefs. Conrad Weiser was born in 1696 in the small village of Affstätt in Herrenberg , in the Duchy of Württemberg (now part of Germany ), where his father (also John Conrad Weiser), as a member of the Württemberg Blue Dragoons , was stationed. Soon after Conrad's birth, his father received
8453-505: The intent of spelling "White Lives Matter". Nearby city Shamokin was a previous "winner" of the same segment in 2016. The extensive Sunbury Riverfront Park Project is in the planning and implementation stages in Sunbury. An extensive floodwall protection system was designed and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1951. Additional height was added to the wall in 2003. The system has provided protection from 15 major flood events over
8560-505: The nearly 3,000 Germans to the New York colony. The Crown supported migration of the immigrants to help settle the New York colony. The plan was that they would work off their passage in a form of indenture in camps devoted to producing ships' stores, such as tar and other materials. Later they would be allowed to trade their work for land. Most of the Germans were first located in what were called
8667-475: The overwhelming significance of the use of Wampum in conducting matters of diplomacy with the Iroquois. Weiser moved to the Tulpehocken area in Pennsylvania in 1729, erecting a house upon a farmstead that would eventually contain 890 acres (3.6 km) of land. Weiser’s knowledge of the Iroquois was immediately employed, as an Oneida Iroquois , Shikellamy , enlisted Weiser’s abilities as a diplomat to negotiate
8774-560: The past 50 years. In 1972, flood waters from Hurricane Agnes crested at 35.8 feet (10.9 m) at Sunbury, two feet higher than the crest in 1936. The wall held back the water and residents showed their gratitude in messages they wrote on the wall. Hurricane Agnes in late June 1972 was blamed for 10 deaths in Lancaster County, eight in Dauphin County, five in York County and four in both Northumberland and Luzerne counties, according to
8881-522: The peace on the frontier of colonial Pennsylvania. The Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead assist in operating the programs. The house was built in 1729 of native limestone . It was expanded several times over the years but it does include an original single room with fireplace and bake oven and a second room that Weiser added to his home in 1750. The home is decorated with many of the furnishings and household tools that were most common during
8988-464: The political dynamics in the Six Nations had shifted. Canasatego, always pro-British, had died. Some Iroquois tribes were leaning toward the French, although the Mohawk remained pro-British. They had extensive trade relations with the British in Albany and eastern province of New York. Early in the summer of 1754, on the eve of the eruption in the colonies of tensions from the Seven Years' War , called
9095-401: The population. In 2000, there were 4,540 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
9202-480: The same methods, our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire such Strength and power. Therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out with one another. Benjamin Franklin printed this speech, which some historians believe influenced development of American concepts of political unity. After the Treaty of Lancaster, Virginia and Pennsylvania colonial officials acted as if the Iroquois had sold them settlement rights to
9309-551: The southern tribes. Impressed with his fortitude in the pursuit of peace, the Iroquois named Weiser "Tarachiawagon", or "Holder of the Heavens." Spill-over violence from a war between the Iroquois and southern tribes such as the Catawba would have drawn first Virginia , and then Pennsylvania, into conflict with the Iroquois. Therefore, this peace-brokering had a profound effect on Native American/colonial relations. In 1742, he interpreted at
9416-641: The summer; special interpretive events; and appointments. Weiser and Anna's descendants continued the family's civic involvement. Their daughter Maria married Henry Muhlenberg . Their son Peter Muhlenberg became a Major General in the Continental Army during the American Revolution , and Frederick Muhlenberg served as the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives . A great-grandson, Peter M. Weiser (born 1781), joined
9523-547: The town of Reading in 1748, was a key figure in the creation of Berks County in 1752, and was appointed to serve as its chief judge until 1760. Weiser was also a teacher and a lay minister of the Lutheran Church , and one of the founders of Trinity Church in Reading. In 1756, during the French and Indian War , the Lenape began to raid central Pennsylvania. When the colony organized a militia, its leaders appointed Weiser as
9630-561: The treaty in Philadelphia of 1736, Shikellamy, Weiser and the Pennsylvanians negotiated a deed whereby the Iroquois sold the land drained by the Delaware River and south of the Blue Mountains. Since the Iroquois had never until then laid claim to this land, this purchase represented a significant swing in Pennsylvanian policy toward the Native Americans . William Penn had never taken sides in disputes between tribes, but by this purchase,
9737-464: The two became friends. When Shikellamy traveled to Philadelphia for a council with the Province of Pennsylvania , he brought Weiser with him. The Iroquois trusted him and considered him an adopted son of the Mohawks. Weiser impressed the Pennsylvania governor and council, which thereafter relied heavily on his services. Weiser also interpreted in a follow-up council in Philadelphia in August, 1732. During
9844-615: The wake of Indian attacks in northern Pennsylvania. In response to this uprising, Weiser was placed in charge of a local militia in the Tulpehocken region. Then in 1756, Weiser was appointed Colonel of the First Pennsylvania Regiment. Until 1758, he spent most of his time riding between Forts Northkill , Lebanon , and Henry in Berks County as well as other forts under his charge. Weiser conducted his final substantial contribution to Indian/Colonial diplomacy in 1758, negotiating
9951-436: The war resulted in deaths of Pennsylvania colonists during the French and Indian Wars . But for many years, Weiser helped to keep the powerful Iroquois allied with the British, as opposed to the French. This important service contributed to the continued survival of the British colonies and is believed to have helped the victory of the British over the French in the French and Indian Wars. Between 1734 and 1741, Weiser became
10058-410: Was $ 37,851 and the average $ 52,975 in 2020. About 19.8% of the population was below the poverty line . Weis Markets , a regional supermarket chain operating in seven states, is headquartered in Sunbury. The company is a significant employer in the city and the region. Great Coasters International is a roller coaster design and manufacturing firm and lists its contact address in Sunbury, though it
10165-403: Was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.91. In 2000, the city the population had 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. The median income for a household in Sunbury
10272-448: Was Jesus I live for thee, I die for thee, thine am I in life and death." His family moved to the frontier town of Schoharie, New York by 1710 at the expense of Queen Anne . There the German immigrants were placed into indentured servitude , as per a signed agreement, to burn tar to pay for the journey. When he was only 16, Weiser's father agreed to a chief's proposal for him to live with
10379-476: Was also teacher and a lay minister of the Lutheran Church, and founded Trinity Church in Reading. In 1756, during the French and Indian War, the Lenape began with raids into central Pennsylvania. As Pennsylvania organized a militia, Conrad was made a Lt. Colonel. Working with Benjamin Franklin, he planned and established a series of forts between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. When General Forbes evicted
10486-461: Was appointed along with Ben Franklin to construct a series of forts between the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River. In the fall of 1758, Weiser attended a council at Easton . Representation included leaders from Pennsylvania, the Iroquois and other Native American tribes. Weiser helped smooth over the tense meeting. With the Treaty of Easton , the tribes in the Ohio Valley agreed to abandon
10593-692: Was awarded a Gold Star from the Pennsylvania Library Association in 2018 for its participation in the PA Forward Star Library program. The library has maintained its gold star for the past 5 years. The Northumberland County Historical Society maintains the Charlotte Darrah Walter Genealogical Library. It contains material on local history along with thousands of records of early families from Northumberland County and surrounding counties. Access to records
10700-689: Was born in 1696 in the small village of Affstätt in Herrenberg , in the Duchy of Württemberg (now in Baden-Württemberg , Germany ), where his father ( Johann Conrad Weiser Sr. ) was stationed as a member of the Württemberg Blue Dragoons. Soon after Conrad's birth, his father was discharged from the Blue Dragoons and moved back to the family ancestral home of Großaspach . In 1709 the boy's mother, Anna Magdalena, died of fever. Their lands had been ravaged by repeated French invasions, there
10807-466: Was buried on a small hill slightly west of his house. Weiser's will bequeathed about 4,000 acres (16 km ) and part of his farm to Berks County. Shortly after Weiser's death, relations between the colonists and the Native Americans began a rapid decline. Although the British leaders tried to restrict colonial settlement to east of the Appalachians, to preserve Native American territory west of there,
10914-514: Was established in 1923 to preserve an example of a colonial homestead and to honor Weiser, an important figure in the settlement of the colonial frontier. The site includes period buildings and an orientation exhibit on a 26-acre (110,000 m) landscaped park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. The park features walking and hiking paths, meadows , groves and a pond . The park contains statues of Conrad Weiser and of Shikellamy , an Onondaga chief who befriended Weiser and helped him keep
11021-486: Was in this vicinity where he initially gained contact with the Iroquois Nations. At the age of fifteen he voluntarily decided to live amidst the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois. Conrad attained significant knowledge of not only the language but also the customs and traditions of the Mohawk tribe, which proved invaluable later in his career. For example, Weiser was one of the few Indian/Colonial interpreters who comprehended
11128-415: Was pestilence, and the people were weakened by an unusually cold and long winter. Conrad Weiser Sr. wrote for his children, "Buried beside Her Ancestors, she was a god-fearing woman and much loved by Her neighbors. Her motto was Jesus I live for thee, I die for thee, thine am I in life and death." Conrad Weiser and his family were among thousands of refugees who left German lands that year, many of them from
11235-551: Was predominantly responsible for negotiating every major treaty between the colonial settlers in Pennsylvania and the Iroquois Nations from 1731 until 1758. In addition to serving as one of the most knowledgeable and successful liaisons between the Indian and the colonist, Weiser was chiefly responsible for both the settlement of the town of Reading, Pennsylvania and the establishment of Berks County. Finally, in 1755, Weiser organized
11342-405: Was sent by Governor Gooch to Onondaga to meet with the Iroquois leaders. The governor sent £100 worth of goods with Weiser as a peace offering. The battle was one of the motivating factors that led colonial authorities to negotiate the 1744 Treaty of Lancaster . In 1744, Weiser acted as the interpreter for the Treaty of Lancaster , which was agreed to by representatives of the Iroquois and
11449-592: Was then known as the City Hotel. At the city's 150th anniversary celebration in 1922, it was renamed the Edison Hotel. This is a list of the historical places located in Sunbury, Pennsylvania . This is a list of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission historical markers located in Sunbury, Pennsylvania . Highland St. (PA 61) at metal truss bridge, E end of Sunbury 1947HM00296 Sunbury
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