During ten generations the area now known as Camp Hill has borne five other names: Hendricks, Fort Pleasant, Oysters Point, Bowmanstown, and White Hall. Since 10 November 1885 an incorporated borough, it is part of the West Shore community that in 1731 was offered to Indian tribes as a reservation and in 1750 became the Penn family's Manor of Lowther.
Carlisle, the county seat of Cumberland County, was founded in 1751. It is the oldest borough in Cumberland County and the third oldest town in Pennsylvania west of the Susquehannah River.
There is no mystery about the name Carlisle Springs, and no research is required to learn its origin. What other name would anyone give to a sulphur spring of medicinal properties located only five miles from the county seat of Cumberland County? What is of special interest, however, is that Carlisle Springs was one of many springs, baths, and spas that flourished as popular resorts for health and recreation in the United States in the second third of the nineteenth century.
Local legend reported that a lone caller for the telegraph tower which stood in the area, across the river from Harrisburg, made the suggestion that "Alone" might be an apt name. In reverse, this is "Enola" and this could well have been the derivation of the town's name, but, further research into the matter, revealed that Enola is named after a little girl called Enola Miller.
The Hoge family of America is of pure Scottish ancestry. Their ancestors came from the heart of Scotland, near Edinburgh, where they lived until religious and political difficulties drove them away.
This village is located on Cedar Run in Lower Allen Township approximately 500 feet upstream from its confluence with the Yellow Breeches Creek. The topographic features of this site created the first interest in the area. Located in a dell cut by Cedar Run, which falls rapidly to the level of the Yellow Breeches, it offered an ideal source of water power for the operation of the early mills. In addition, there was a large spring adjacent to Cedar Run that was used by the early residents to draw their water and was reportedly also used to power one of the mills.
New Cumberland has an ancient and vivid history. It has developed from an Indian settlement into the trading post of a French-Indian half-breed and later into the dream of a wealthy iron maker.
A persuasive case could be made that New Kingstown should properly be named "Junkintown. " Consider, Joseph Junkin was the first settler. His home, before settling in Silver Spring Township near Stoney Ridge was a farm which lay on both sides of a line in Ireland separating County Down and County Antrim. Leaving Ulster about 1736, he settled at first in Chester County where he married a Scot, Elizabeth Wallace. They took up 500 acres of land in Cumberland County.
Most people are unaware of the unique origin of the Borough of Newville, Cumberland County. Early towns usually grew up around springs, taverns or industries. Newville was planned by a church and laid out on church property.
Shippensburg, the second oldest town west of the Susquehannah river, was named for Edward Shippen, but the founding and naming of the town is much more than these simple facts.