Ages before anyone dreamed of nuclear power, flying machines and fast food hamburgers, this section of Dauphin County was home to several groups of Indians, including the Susquehannocks, Conoys (or Ganawese), Nanticokes, Conestogas and the Shawnees.

Some of the Indians were peace loving, but the Susquehannocks are reputed to have been a murderous tribe, skilled in their manufacture of weapons and determined to rid their neighborhood of any but their own. In 1675, however, they were almost totally wiped out by invading Iroquois and a smallpox epidemic. Later, in 1683, the Shawnees moved north from Maryland and settled here.

The banks of the river and creek were at one time densely wooded. Most certainly an Indian town existed at the mouth of the Swadahara (Swatara), evidently a favorite with the Indians. Countless stone axes, arrow and spear heads, and other artifacts have been found in that area, further down the river, and in the quarry area behind Royalton.

Captain John Smith explored the Susquehanna (from the Indian name "Sa-os-quaha-na-unk", meaning long crooked river) in 1608, coming as far north as the Great Falls (Conewago). William Penn himself traveled up the river as far as the Swatara Creek, and was so impressed with the area that he proposed to build a city at that junction that would equal or surpass Philadelphia. Most historians credit the river's "riffles" and shallow water with defeating that plan.

Fishermen have, until very recent years, harvested great quantities of fish and eels, often bushels at a time, from the nearby river and creek. Records state that "Swatara," translated from the Indian Sa-hadow-a, means "where we feed on eels."

From 1700 to 1750 so many Scotch Irish immigrated to Pennsylvania's 'western frontier' that in 1729 a new county was carved out of the western part of Chester County and named Lancaster County. The area that is now Royalton was included in the deal as part of Derry, one of the Lancaster County townships. Boundary lines were changed again in 1785, when the northwestern part of Lancaster County was cut away and named Dauphin County. Royalton (still a part of Derry Township) ended up very close to the boundary line between Dauphin and Lancaster Counties. After more township boundary realignments in the early 1800's, Royalton was no longer part of Derry Township.

This area of the state was described as having an abundance of great rolling woodlands that could easily be turned into farmland, huge surface stones suitable for building, and many brooks and creeks that bountifully filled the wide Susquehanna River, making the area extremely fertile. Port Royal (now Royalton) was the first, and for many years, one of the largest villages along the Susquehanna.

Thomas and John Penn, Proprietors and Governors in Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, issued a patent September 3, 1772 to William Breden for an 87.5 acre tract of land, located at the junction of the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek. The price paid by Breden was fourteen Pounds fourteen Shillings. The deed was recorded January 31, 1774. Mr. Breden then sold his land May 10, 1774 to three men: Henry Weaver, a Lancaster County miller; Elijah Wickersham, a merchant; and Joseph Leacock of Philadelphia. These three laid out the ground into 416 lots and divided the lots between them.

June 15, 1775, Leacock sold his interest to the other two partners, who divided the lots between them, each taking alternate lots. Weaver selected the 211 even numbered lots and Wickersham selected the 205 uneven numbered lots, including a very large lot on Salmon Street (L. Royalton).

Over the next several years ownership of Wickersham's lots passed hands several times; finally in 1809 to George Fisher, for the price of $900. After his death the Honorable Robert J. Fisher of York, Pennsylvania acquired them, and later sold them piece by piece to various parties.

Weaver's share of the lots was sold separately to Martha Lorraine, of Clearfield County. She had bought them from Elizabeth Swift in 1855 for $250. How Mrs. Swift got the lots is a mystery.

Port Royal had its own "Ferry House" many years ago-where the Swatara and Susquehanna meet. Called Seagrave's, the sturdy old two and one-half story building was built in the late 1700's, of yellow pine logs and weather-boarded. It had a high pitched roof and contained many rooms. For more than a century it was a famous resort, resting place, and tavern for raftsmen, keelboaters, and travelers of all kinds. Another tavern was on the opposite side of the Swatara, so traffic as well as great rivalry flowed freely between.

Another ferry, Wagner's, crossed the creek where the Aqueduct Bridge now stands. During high water both Wagner's and Seagrave's ferryboats were pulled across the Swatara as rope ferries. Still another ferry existed near the present County Bridge.

In time two permanent bridges replaced the ferries; the County Bridge and the Aqueduct Bridge.

Port Royal soon became an important trading post after the Susquehanna became a "water highway" for rafts and boats. McCreary's boat building dry docks once did a booming business in the area of present day Kiwanis Park. Further up this side of the Swatara were a hotel, a tavern, the Boyton planing mill and sash factory, the Cameron Grist Mill, Cameron Furnace, and later in the hill area, the brick plant. A canal feeder ran down along the creek from the County Bridge to the Pennsylvania Canal.

In 1864 a small group of slaves fled by way of the underground railroad from Virginia to Chambersburg, then on to Royalton, where they settled along the feeder from the Swatara Creek to Buck Lock. They built a small church at the comer of Shippen and Dock Streets, and named it the "First Zion Primitive Baptist Church." Behind the church was a small cemetery. Many tombstones remained in place until only a few years ago, although in '1920 the congregation moved the church, intact, to Keystone Avenue in Middletown, where it remains to this day.

Until the late 1870's Upper Royalton was known as Furnace Hill, and Lower Royalton was called Port Royal. In September 1891, however, both areas were incorporated and named Royalton. (See: "How Did Royalton Get Its Name?")

It should be noted at this time that some historians give the year of Royalton's incorporation as 1892. When this discrepancy was checked with state officials, their answer was that the proper date would be the one recorded on our official deed of incorporation. That date, as we all know, is 1891. May that error now rest in peace.

In March 1892, shortly after the borough was incorporated, Royalton's first postmistress was appointed, Mrs. Mary E. Snavely. The post office was located at the comer of Burd & Northumberland Streets.

A succession of short term appointments followed, including that of John Rutherford, who used part of his store at Burd & Wyoming Streets as post office. Tom Holland, an influential land owner at that time, who served as Burgess, assessor, and in 1896 treasurer of the Londonderry Building and Loan Association, was appointed when Rutherford resigned. He kept the post office in his store at Shippen & Allen Streets in Lower Royalton. Tom's daughter, Kathryn Borges, succeeded him at the same location. When she resigned in November, 1959, Royalton's postal delivery was integrated with Middletown's.

Until 1959, however, everyone in Royalton had to go to the post-office for their own mail, and usually the youngsters had that privilege. During the summer most kids went barefoot, and how we loved to pop the hot tar bubbles in the macadam with our toes. Many are the pieces of mail that carried home a smear of sticky black.

During Royalton's early years the borough's youngsters received their schooling in several buildings. First grade was in the "Baby School" at the bottom of the Burd Street hill. That building no longer exists. Second grade was on Penn Street, Upper Royalton. Dave and Susie Sides now live in that building. The other grades, up to tenth, were held in the Juniata Street building in Lower Royalton and the Burd Street building in Upper Royalton. When in 1930, the Northumberland Street school was built, the first and second grades, and the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth grades moved in, greatly easing the other schools' crowded conditions.

In mid-February, 1959, the Royalton School Board became a part of the Middletown Area School District. The old buildings were sold to private owners and the new building on Northumberland Street became part of the MASD system.

Most borough old timers can recall the years they spent in those old buildings. As in most rural schools, plumbing was the outdoor type and most inconvenient. For many years drinking water had to be carried from a neighbor's house, a pleasure or punishment according to the individual's point of view. Teachers, men and women alike, had to take care of firing the pot bellied stoves in their classrooms themselves.

People were not always so conscientious about sending their youngsters to school. So many school-age children were on the Royalton streets in the early 1900's that the school board warned all parents that severe prosecution would follow if their children did not attend school regularly.

The Susquehanna and Swatara overflowed their banks countless times during the years, ruining gardens and causing much distress to those living nearby. Occasionally, however, major floods and ice jams caused widespread destruction in the Borough. Just a few of the more memorable of those floods occurred in 1889, 1894, 1904, 1936, and 1972.

Local "word of mouth" history notes that during the ice flood of 1904 great quantities of lumber from the sawmills upriver floated down the river. Tom Holland, who owned a lot of Royalton property, is said to have snagged enough of that wayward lumber to build a whole row of houses on Market Street, besides several other houses, barns, and outhouses.

Everybody kept their own pigs, chickens, goats, horses and even cows in the borough during its early years. Mid-winter butchering was cause for family and neighborhood get-togethers, with whole families pitching in to help or get in the way. It was not until the late 20's that ordinances were set up banning butchering and keeping livestock within the borough limits, except for a few chickens.

Royalton has changed in many ways over the past 100 years; but not enough that we have lost our "home town" flavor. Most of us who live here love it just the way it is, and hope it never becomes lost in metropolitan development. Happy birthday, Royalton. May God continue to bless and prosper you as He has done these many years.