My Genealogy Hound

DAVID LINE, a retired farmer of Dickinson township, who though in his seventy-fifth year is as bright and alert as a man many years his junior, comes of a family long prominent in the agricultural life of eastern Pennsylvania.

In 1710, when the French Huguenots were settling in Switzerland, George Line sailed with his wife and son George for America, but died on the voyage. His widow and the young boy George settled in Lancaster county, Pa., where the latter grew to manhood and married. He was for many years the proprietor of the famous Green Gardens, in Lancaster county. In 1778 he came to Cumberland county and purchased 540 acres of land from Gen. John Armstrong, paying £9,000, Continental currency. While this sum seems exorbitant, it was, on account of the depreciation of Continental money, only a fair consideration as an evidence of which fact we have the petition of the creditor for some other kind of money at the time the last payment came due (the money was paid in several payments), as he said the amount due in Continental money would scarcely pay his board during the session of the Legislature, of which body he was a member. George Line made his home on this property until his death. He married Salome Zimmerman, and of their children David remained in Lancaster county; John married Anna Barbara Le Fevre, and settled in Cumberland county; William is mentioned below; Abraham married Christina Eby, and settled in Cumberland county; Elizabeth married a McFeely, and came to Cumberland county; Susanna married a Smith and settled in Cumberland county; Salome married a Houk, and came with her family to Cumberland county; George died unmarried.

William Line, son of George, was a minute-man in the Revolutionary war, being in the service at the time of the battles of Trenton and Princeton, after which it fell to his lot to take Hessian prisoners as laborers on his farm. He accompanied his father on his removal to Cumberland county, and made his home in Dickinson township until his death. He married Maria Bear, and their children were: George, Mrs. Nancy Musselman, Mrs. Catherine Eby, Mrs. Mary Spangler, Emanuel, Mrs. Sarah Tritt, Mrs. Rachel Snyder, Mrs. Susan Myers, David, Mrs. Rebecca Givler and Mrs. Lydia Myers.

David Line, Sr., was born Aug. 30, 1792. When he began work for himself he settled on a part of the family homestead, where he erected the present substantial and commodious home. He married Sarah Myers, and they became the parents of the following children: John, deceased; Mrs. Mary Ann Greason, deceased; William, a physician, formerly at Nebraska City, Neb., now of Aberdeen, S. Dak.; George, who married Isabella W. Huston, lived in South Middleton township, and is now deceased; Mrs. Matilda Huston, deceased; David; Mrs. Sarah Jane Huston; Frances R., who died unmarried; and Samuel C., a farmer of Dickinson township, now deceased. David Line, Sr., died Jan. 31, 1864, and his widow passed away June 1, 1882, aged eighty-one years.

David Line, son of David, Sr., was born in Dickinson township May 4, 1830. The home district schools afforded him his preliminary literary training, which was supplemented by attendance at Burns Academy, at Good Hope, Pa. He spent seven years of his early manhood in Washington county, Iowa, returning home during that time for one winter’s attendance at school. After his marriage he located on his present fine farm of 173 acres, which includes portions of both the Line and the Ralston homesteads. He has erected a fine brick residence and substantial outbuildings, and by his conduct of his farm showed that he had profited from the lessons learned under the able instruction of his father. In 1896 he retired from the active work of the farm, but still makes his home there, the place being managed by his son Marion M. Besides this property Mr. Line owns a good farm of 103 acres in South Middleton township, occupied by his son David William, and 128 acres in Frankford township, this county.

Mr. Line has always been one of the public-spirited men of the township, and has been especially active in the interest of good schools being a firm believer in education; he has given his family every advantage in that line. He, himself, has never ceased to read and to study, and to-day is one of the most intelligent and best posted men in the township. In politics, he is an ardent Republican. His religious belief is that of the Presbyterians, and he and his family are members of the First Church of that denomination in Carlisle.

On Nov. 30, 1864, David Line was united in marriage with Mary E. Ralston, a native of Cumberland county, and a daughter of David and Lacey (Mcallister) Ralston. She died a sincere and consistent Christian, Nov. 12, 1876. Five children blessed this union, namely: James Edwin, born Nov. 7, 1866, is at home assisting on the home farm; David William, born Dec. 2, 1867, attended the public schools of Dickinson township, then went West and attended school there, and spent two years with a florist in Lincoln, Neb., after which he returned home, and he is now located in Cumberland county as previously mentioned, and is mail carrier on Rural Free Delivery Route No. 4, in South Middleton, Dickinson and Penn townships; Samuel, born May 2, 1869, was educated in the public schools, married Mary Carothers, daughter of James Carothers, by whom he has a daughter, Dorothy, and lives in West Pennsboro township, five miles north of Carlisle; Marion Myers, born June 13, 1870, married Bertha Royer, daughter of Horris and Sarah Ann (Kenney) Royer, of South Middleton township, has two sons, David R. and Robert R., and is at present farming the old homestead; Sarah Ella, born June 25, 1872, was educated in the public schools, and is now keeping house for her father. Mr. Line is highly esteemed in the county, and has proved himself a worthy representative of a line of substantial and honest men, all of whom have been a credit to the community in which they made their homes.