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Johannes Palm, a doctor, emigrated from Germany to America in 1750. He and his oldest son John (age 9) made their way to Rotterdam and boarded
a ship named Patience. They arrived in Philadelphia, PA August 11th when he was 37 years old. His name was on a web
page near the end of the list of passengers. John's name is not on the list.
Johannes and John left Germany during the time many protestants were fleeing in vain from one principality to another, to avoid persecution. Many sought asylum in the new land, often settling in the upper part of New Jersey, in the vicinity of Elizabeth and Springfield. This is where Dr. John Palm first settled. His name is registered in the baptismal records of St. John's church in Elizabeth Town, New Jersey on November 9, 1751 (John Pallam, a German). There were difficulties in obtaining titles to lands and most of these immigrants decided to relocate by going overland to the Susquenhanna River, then embarking on rafts to what is now Middletown, a few miles below Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Here they turned their rafts up the Swatara River, landing about 2 miles north of Palmyra, Pennsylvania in 1723. Johannes and son John did this around 1760.
John founded
the town of Palmyra, PA (see red area in map on left). On a 100 acre farm he reigned as 'Lord of the Manor', dispensing health and comfort to the people of the still sparsely settled community for a period of over 30 years. He had an extensive practice, and owing to the country being thinly settled, it was very laborious. Patients frequently came from long distances to consult with him. The medicines he used were mostly of vegetable extraction. Having an extensive laboratory, he prepared most of his own medicines. He distilled his own essential oils, waters, etc. from herbs and flowers.
He was confirmed into the Lutheran Church. Within a few years quite a settlement sprung, and gradually a village received the name of Palmstown or Palmsettle (named after Dr. Palm). The name of the settlement has since been changed to Palmyra (1810). Palmyra was named after one of the ancient cities built by King Solomon of the bible history. The name implies "the City of Palms".
That the pinch of poverty was still upon Dr. John Palm after he settled in Pennsylvania can be deduced from the fact that twice he took out a mortgage on his acquired property. The Lancaster County records show that on July 2, 1768 he gave a mortgage deed, on the Palmyra tract, to George Hook and Conrad Brown of Lebanon Township for a 200 pound bond, and on August 25, 1772, on the same tract, a mortgage deed to William Sitgreaves, a merchant of Philadelphia for 400 pounds.
When his material fortunes increased he was able to add the Coffeetown tract (about a mile northeast of his Palmyra tract) to his possessions in 1777. The facts are recited to show how the energy and thrift, not alone of the physician, but also of the farmer and trader, were rewarded in those days in the new land of opportunity.
Johannes (John) and his second wife (Catharine
Salome Fenger - b:1730 m:1752 d:1784) had their seventh child who was named Michael Palm (b:5/5/1770 - d:7/31/1836). He had a third wife named Elizabeth Klein Smiley or Williams who had been captured by the Indians from 1757 until 1762. They married in the late 1780s. John died 4/25/1799 in Palmyra at age 85. His gravesite is in the Bindnagle Cemetery.
Michael and his second wife (Barbara Synder) had a son, George Palm, who was born August 31, 1790.
George and his wife Elizabeth had a son, David Palm, in 1821 who
became a farmer in Mill Creek, PA in Lebanon County.
David married Elizabette Mutschell 10/22/1853 and their first child, William Palm,
was born in 1854 or 1855. I have not been able to find out the month and day.
William married Lydia Moyer and had a son, Samuel Moyer Palm, in 1882 on July 12th in Manheim, Lancaster County,
PA. He was my mother's dad.
Can you find Manheim in the map at the left? Pause your cursor on each. One is a township and one is the town (light yellow). I am not sure which was their address. |
