The History of Lehighton
Post date: Apr 9, 2015 8:01:57 PM
By: Lily Fasching
Gnadenhutten (now known as Lehighton) was established when Moravian Brethrens began converting Indians to the Christian religion. Gnadenhutten was organized in 1746, and the Moravians and Delaware Indians lived together in peace. In 1750, Teedyuscung was baptized, but soon felt as though he and the Delaware Indians were being treated unfairly by the residents in Gnadenhutten. The Delaware Indians joined with the Mohicans and Shawnees in 1755 and attacked the settlement, killing 10 people and capturing 1 person. They then burned the town, and the remaining settlers escaped to Bethlehem. People didn’t feel safe in Gnadenhutten until after the Revolutionary War.
Later on, Benjamin Franklin built Fort Allen on the site of Gnadenhutten. This became the most important fort in the area. Jacob Weiss and William Henry owned most of the land and began to plan a town that became a popular area to rest for travelers going between Berwick and Easton. The new town gained the name Lehighton after the Lehigh River. The Lehigh River provided water power for many factories located in Lehighton, including a meat packing house and a shirt factory. Many taverns were built for travelers passing through, and a general store, a tannery, and a grist mill were added in the early 1800’s. The building of the Lehigh Canal and the Lehigh Valley Railroad allowed Lehighton’s population to grow, and a census in 1876 showed that the population was 1,458 people. The population has since grown to about 5,435 people.