Kauffman, PA 17201

By Pete Kauffman -
So, do you know where Kauffman, PA is? I have for years driven by Kauffman on my way south from Chambersburg, PA. It is off the main road, visible from I-81 as you go south. You can see it on the west side of the road, located between Route 11 and the interstate but you have to consciously turn off Route 11 down a two lane road lined with silos and farm equipment, over the railroad track until the road bears to the left and a small town appears on the right. Drive down the road and you see a cemetery on the right, then the road splits and there is a small, single room school house with another cemetery behind it, lined by an iron fence. Across the way is a group of cottages and buildings. A few businesses, no stores, no grand homes, just a town. Then the road weaves to the right, through some farms and you are off to Greencastle.
So, here is this town, named after some mysterious Kauffman, located a few miles south of Route 30 which passes west from Lancaster, PA where our Kauffman's landed around 1712. Could they be a part of the family that migrated west looking for land? I started in the cemetery. Among the hundreds of stones, I quickly came to two Kauffman stones. A quick search showed no other Kauffman's buried in the immediate vicinity. Here were two Kauffman's probably the first settlers (and hence the name) of this community. The first was Abraham Kauffman, born around 1802 and died around 1883. His wife, Gathamine (yes, this spelling is correct( Kauffman was born in 1805.
Could they be related? Well, a thorough search of the Kauffman Family shows no Abraham's at all. And Abraham was born in 1802. I see no record of an Abraham. So, my quess is that this family has no connection to our family. And I saw no offspring. So, my guess is that Kauffman, PA is not our town. Bummer! It was a cute little town.

Comments

  1. NancyDecember 22, 2011 at 2:11 AM

    Years ago Laura discovered Kauffman and I always meant to try to visit one day, just to chat with the locals. Maybe I still will even though we aren't related.

    ReplyDelete

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