OUR BEGINNINGS

On December 2, 1744, almost thirty-two years before the Revolutionary War, our forefathers petitioned the court of quarter sessions to establish a township.

The Township was given the name “Alsace” in deference to the original settlers who came from Elsas, Germany. The courts officially established Alsace Township on March 3, 1745. The original tract included Lower Alsace, parts of Mt. Penn, all of Muhlenberg and a portion of Reading as well as the current area of the township. Alsace was diminished twice by Reading in 1761 and 1783. In 1850, the parts of Mt. Penn were ceded to Cumru Township and in 1851, Muhlenberg Township was created.

Our founding fathers were predominantly industrious farmers and millers. Large areas of land were cleared for agricultural production. Streams were harnessed for milling and churches were built for spiritual and social needs.

In an article entitled “Zion’s Hill” appearing in the Reading Times and Dispatch of June 30, 1881, Montgomery, a noted historian, presented a description of the people of Alsace as “a faithful people with an untiring energy which was generally rewarded with success. Their economic habits enabled them to live well and comfortably. The people were content, scarcely felt the force of government, taxation was light, crimes were limited, serious offenses were seldom committed, a high order of morality was exhibited everywhere, and untiring industry and a rather rigorous economy was daily practiced.”