Noah Sheely

"NOAH SHEELY, farmer, P.O. Cashtown, was born in 1838. His grandfather, Andrew Sheely was born in this county and married a Miss Diehl, of York County, whose family history appears in sketches of the Diehls. Jacob, their eldest son, a farmer, was born in 1812, in Mountjoy Township, on the Mansion farm, now owned by John Hartman. He married Mary Hartman, about 1832, who bore him ten children: Andrew, Agnes, Aaron (the present county superintendent of schools, and who wrote the chapters on Natural History and Education for this volume), Noah (subject), Catharine, Ephraim, Jacob, Daniel, Eli and Mary. Jacob kept a hotel on the Baltimore Pike, near Newman’s tavern, for a number of years, in company with his brother-in-law, Jacob Hartman. He afterward purchased a farm in Mountjoy Township, and later moved to another purchase near by; thence came to Franklin Township, and purchased a large tract of land, most of which he improved, and on which he remained during his life. Two of his sons have been for many years practical teachers of Adams County, and all of them have a practical business education. In 1866 Noah married Rebecca McElwone, of Union Township. In their present home they began housekeeping, and in the stone mansion their eight children were born. Our subject has accumulated a large property, and is one of the representative farmers of Franklin Township. His children inherit a name that has been familiar for more than a century in Adams County, and one which has been associated with enterprise and education continually. Mr. Sheely is the largest fruit grower in Adams County, having 2,000 fruit-bearing trees, 700 York stripe, 1,000 York imperial, 300 of varieties-all winter apples. "