HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, H. H. Hain, HAIN-MOORE  CO. 1922

"MARKELVILLE" pages 974-975

  Markelville. In February, 1763, the lands on which Markelville is located were warranted to Edward Elliot, and named in the warrent as "Pretty Meadow". In April 1769, the adjoining tract was warranted to John Pedan, who came from Lancaster County, and was named "Down Patrick". The "Pretty Meadow" tract contained 120 acres, and the "Down Patrick" 142 acres. The "Pretty Meadow" tract was sold to William Wallace, an innkeeper of Carlisle, in 1782, and e came into possession of the other tract through the will of his sister, Martha Peden. In John Peden's will, dated August 1, 1775, is the clause: :And I allow, in case my child dies, that my wife, Martha, shall have that plantation lying in Sherman's Valley, known as "Down Patrick", she to pay twenty pounds to the other executor, to be put to use for the support of a minister in Dongegal." BY her will, dated a year later, it passes to the innkeeper. There is no record of any improvements until 1775, when part of it was under cultivation by some squatters who had been driven off by hostile Indians. Not   until 1776 or 1777 did Elliot and Peden clear and cultivate land there. Tradition says these lands were settled earlier but there records do not bear it out.

   Wallace transferred the lands to James McNamara in 1793, and he erected the first house in the place, and later a mill, and it came to be known as "McNamara's Mill". McNarmara sold the tract to Valentine Smith, from whom his son, John Smith, acquired twenty-two acres, including the grist and sawmill, and the lands upon which Markelville is located. From Smith it passed to John Weary, and from him to William Bosserman, in 1834. It the came known as Bosserman's Mill, and a post office was established bearing that name. Then the property was sold in two parcels, the lands principally going to John Leiby, who in 1853 sold to George Markle, whose building operations and piblic spirit gave his name to the town. The mill, on the other hand, passed  to George Leonard, who in 1868, sold to David Bixler. The next owners were A. S. Whitekettle, whose title dates to 1886; Henry K. Frymoyer, 1894; Yearick & Dock, 1898, Mr. Yearick later beoming sole owner; Gordon Brothers, 1900; J. . Alter, 1909, selling almost at once to Linn H. Boyer: Wm. A. Patton, 1911, and Lloyde D. Stambaugh, the present owner in 1915.

   Jonas Les kept the first store there. Other early storekeepers were Thomas Black, Peter Ouran, William Bosserman. George Leiby, George Markel Jr., Daniel Sutman, and later A..S. Whitekettle and Miller E. Flickinger. The present Markelville includes the site of "Little Vienna" which was patented by Alexander Myers in 1809, and contained 365 acres. In 1815 he planned and laid out the "future city" on the lands just south of the Lutheran Church. In March of that year he had a public auction of lots and succeeded in selling eighteen, each of which contained thirty-one perches [square rod = 16.5 ft x 16.5 ft]. But three house were built upon them, as follows: One by a tailor named John Smith, another by Goerge Folk, and the third by Isaac Frantz. A right-of-way was reserved to Buffalo Creek for the residents and a public road provided, but with the death of Myers also died the dream of a great city to be located there.

The Markelville Academy was opened in 1855, but its history is more property part of the chapter on Public Institutions, elsewhere in this book.

   Markelville has been the location of a numer of physicians. Among them were Dr. J. E. VanCamp, 1869-71; Dr. J.D. Shull, 1887-96; Dr. Geo. W. Lupfer, after 1881, and Dr. Chas. J. Manning, after 1889.

   According to the report of the mercantile appraiser the folloeing are business firms of Juniata Township, the year following names being the date of beginning business:

M. E. Flickinger (1898), general store and postmaster at Markelville. Opened by Geo. Markel (1856), whose successor was A. S. Whitekettle.

C. A.Scott and A. F. Walkmeyer, general stores

L. D. Stambaugh and T. L. Toomey, grain, flour and feed.