Pre-Industrial

Between the arrival of the first settlers to these lands in the 1720s-1730s until 1840, this forested area was slowly cleared by Scots Irish and German farming familes. These pages tell the story of that period, through the arrival of the Lehigh Canal in 1829. The name Catasauqua, which the Indians gave to the area and to the creek flowing through here, was translated as "thirsty ground". Indeed when the Scots Irish came here; instead of settling along the river, they traveled further up the creek to what is now Weaversville. The land along the river here, and up along what is now Race St did not look particularly arable; no dense growth, and very rocky. Indeed it was not farmed until decades later, when the perception that it was not good farmland was dispelled. The George Taylor plantation along the Lehigh River here, built in the 1760s, was previously the Armstrong farm, one of the early Scot Irish settlers. During Taylor's ownership, many acres were cleared for pasture and farming. The subsequent Germans owners continued clearing and farming this 332 acre site south of Race St. These pages on Catasauqua history are provided and maintained by the Historic Catasauqua Preservation Association