A SHORT HISTORY OF PALMER TOWNSHIP

Based on past research of the Palmer Township Historical Society

and Morris Knowles, Inc.

Originally, the lands that are now Palmer Township were inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape and Delaware Indians. In 1737, the infamous “Walking Purchase” occurred through which the Indians were deceived out of large amounts of lands. The lands that are now Palmer became held by descendants of William Penn.

Without permission from the Penn Family who owned it, German immigrants in the 1740s cleared much of the land for farms and their homes. In 1759, the settlers petitioned the Province of Pennsylvania to allow them to pay a “fit and reasonable” price for the lands, but their request was denied. The families continued to “squat” on the lands until 1795 when the Penn Family finally agreed to sell. Meanwhile, Nazareth and Bethlehem had been founded in 1741 and Easton in 1751. The Seipsville Hotel was established along the Easton-Nazareth Road in 1760.

During these years, the lands around the present Northwood Avenue were known for some of the best grouse and deer hunting in the region. Many notables were invited by the Penn Family to hunt in the area. Palmer was also known for its fine woodlands of oak, hickory and chestnut trees. The very fertile soil of Palmer provided for excellent farming, although there were problems with sinkholes.

On May 5, 1857, Palmer Township was founded out of parts of Forks Township. At the time, Palmer included about 1,300 people. Palmer was named after George Palmer (1741-1831), who for many years served as the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. George Palmer’s highly accurate surveying work is still referred to in settling boundary disputes and in tracing titles of properties. A member of the Penn Family noted that George Palmer was “a man of conscience”.

By 1850, most of the major roads of modern Palmer were already being used. These included William Penn Highway, Freemansburg Avenue, Nazareth Road, Hecktown Road, Newburg Road and Tatamy Road. Mine Lane Road carried iron ore from a mine hole to the Lehigh Canal and the Glendon Iron Works. The Bushkill Creek provided a good source of power for small industries and grist mills.

When Palmer was founded in 1857 it included 14 square miles, compared to the 10.4 today. The village of Mutchlertown separated from Palmer in 1920 to become the Borough of Wilson. The village of Otelweldertown became a separate borough, West Easton, in 1898. After the cement industry developed around Tatamy, it became a separate borough in 1893. Stockertown had been established in 1774 but did not become separate from Palmer until 1900.

Palmer remained generally a farming community until innovations in transportation occurred across the nation. First, street trolley lines were built from Bethlehem to Easton and Easton to Nazareth. This allowed people to live farther from their work in the cities. Then the automobile greatly expanded people’s choices in where they could live. More and more people chose the amenities and space of living in Palmer. Industry, no longer tied to the railroads, also moved into Palmer as roads improved.