Time Line of Southampton Township

1625 - Thomas Powell's Expedition arrived from Jamestown, Virginia

1728 - The 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 the Saltpeter Cave in Sweet Root Gap. The saltpeter was used to make gunpowder during the Revolutionary War.

1764 - Mason & Dixon were commissioned to survey and mark the boundary between the future states of 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's Trading Post.

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

1787 - Pennsylvania became the second State. Eventually, it was divided in to 67 counties.

1799 - Southampton Township was organized from Colerain and Providence Townships.

1806 - First log school was built.

1824 - Mount Zion Christian Church was built, followed by many more churches.

1830 - Chaneysville was named after Thomas Chaney Jr., who built the first house/inn/tavern. His family had moved here in 1786 from Washington County, Maryland.

1840 - Monroe Township seceded from Southampton and Providence Townships.

1840 - William Perdew, a Revolutionary War veteran, died. He had built the first brick house in Beans Cove.

1852 - Elbinsville Post Office opened.

1855 - Chaneysville Post Office opened.

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

1869 - New framed schools were built around our township.

1872 - Beans Cove Post Office opened.

1876 - Mann Township seceded from Southampton Township.

1879 - Hewitt Covered Bridge was approved for use.

1897 - Hewitt Post Office opened.

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

1930 - Someone started a fire on Tussey Mountain that burned 1150 acres on May 4th & 5th.

1935 - CCC camps were set up in Sweet Root and Blankley Parks.

1949 - PTA was organized

1954 - Chaneysville Elementary School opened. Cove was added to the name in 1972.

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 are buried in the Imes Family Cemetary.

1986 - Sponsored by the Chaneysville Seniors, Mabel Hoffman was crowned "Ms. Senior Pennsylvania (Honoring women 60 and over).

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

1992 - September 14th, the Ku Klux Klan held a cross burning rally near Chaneysville.

2000 - Hewitt Covered Bridge restored.

2002 - On March 16th, the Martin Hill Fire Tower (built in 1921) was quietly removed.