Highland Hill Farm Po. Box 517 Fountainville, PA 18923 (215-345-0946)
Welcome to
Dublin Pa. Goose Hunting on Our Pond
Just 1 mile from Dublin Boro is our small farm we call,"The Rice Farm". It is on 27 acres that is planted with nursery stock except on a 1 acre area that has a small 40' pond. This small pond can attract upwards to 1000 geese at a time. Last year before we planted this field there sometimes would be 20-50,000 Geese at a time. On the 15 acre field you cold walk across it stepping on geese and never touch the ground. This year with less open ground there are less geese but yet there can be geese by thousands in this field.
This pic was taken Jan 10, 2006.
I could still miss, but I would have to be a real poor aim!
2 Miles East of Dublin is Our Stonebarn Nursery Goose Hunting Fields
Local History of the town of Dublin, PA Where our farm is located.
"Our" Dublin, one of 3 towns in America named Dublin, began at a
crossroads.
In the late 1600's, Dublin didn't even have a name yet, barely a
village of
just a handful of structures where two trails crossed, evolving as so
many
other towns have throughout history, throughout the world. Dublin is
by far
the largest town in Bedminster township. Bedminster is one of the 54
townships of Bucks county today.
Bedminster began as part of Plumstead township in its first settlement
days,
when, as early as 1680, a few people owned land before William Penn.
William
Penn's treaty with the native American "Indians," known as the
Leni-Lenape,
illustrated his Quaker ideals and would have made a fine model for the
treaties which would be needed with other tribes in the future westward
growth of the nation many decades later. "I desire to gain your Love
and
Friendship by a kind, Just and Peaceable Life," he wrote to the
Leni-Lenape
from England. He followed up that desire with his "holy experiment."
when he
was granted all of what became the state named after him. William
Penn got
about 40,000 square miles of land in the "New World" from King Charles
II for
what his recently deceased father's estate was owed. Admiral Sir
William
Penn had loaned the king money in addition to his deferred pay during
the
1665-1667 Second Anglo-Dutch War. William Penn lived in his Quakertown
at
the end of his life.
Three hundred-plus years later, almost 5,000 people live in 1,800
households
on today's Bedminster of 31 square miles, over 20,000 acres. About
2,100
people live in Dublin, according to the 2000 census. Bedminster
township
today is bordered by Plumstead township's remainder, and Hilltown,
Rockhill,
Haycock, and Nockamixon Townships, having the tortuous Tohickon for its
north
and north east boundary. All the surrounding townships, except Haycock,
were
organized prior to Bedminster's establishment in 1742.
By the 1730's. William Allen, as in Allentown, was a young colonial on
the
go. After graduating from Cambridge University he came to William
Penn's 46-
year old "New World" colony and promoted Philadelphia as the first
capital of
Pennsylvania rather than Chester. He earned money as a lawyer and
investing
in land with his partners' and father's money. He was mostly investing
in
the "virgin lands" beyond his hometown of Philadelphia. He was what
today is
considered either a land speculator or even a suburban real-estate
developer.
William Allen was one of the largest landowners in central Bucks
County, with
possessions in several townships when settlers began to enter
Bedminster.
Bedminster township's total land area then was 16,058 acres. The
township
began as William Allen and his other "Proprietaries" opened their huge
tract "laying "near the Tohickon above Deep run," in 1734. William
Allen was
exactly 30 years old. Settlers came in quite rapidly, and in a few
years
there was considerable population along the Deep Run, which name the
evolving
settlement bore for just a few years as the township was quickly
organized in
1742. The little village of Dublin was already the township's center
of
activity and at just 26 miles from Philadelphia, not too far outside of
the
city. Bedminster's successful start tied-in well with William Allen's
appointment as colonial mayor of Philadelphia in 1735. William Allen
suggested the township's name from the parish in Somerset County which
is
named Bedminster. (His father's birthplace? Mother's? Favorite place
to "holiday"? First land he ever owned? His reason for the choice is
unknown.) However, there is the connection to Bucks County being named
for
England's Bucks County, short for Buckinghamshire...
From where were Bedminster's "first-comers?" Virtually all were from
the
north of Ireland and belonged to that sturdy people known as
Scotch-Irish.
This ethnic group played an important part in the settlement of both
the
county, the state of Pennsylvania, and the United States. Of the almost
300
million Americans today, about 50 million, or 1 out of 6, are of Irish
descent. The Scotch-Irish Presbyterians had not been long seated on
Deep Run
before they organized a church, which took the name of that stream, and
bears
it to this day. A log meeting-house was built near the creek, in the
southwest corner of the township as early as 1732 and the first settled
minister was there six years later. It was the original place of
worship of
all the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians of the region of county. Later on,
the
larger Doylestown Presbyterian church was established.
McNeeley, McHenry, Darrah, Hughes, Alexander, Grier, Smith, Hough,
Robinson,
Orr (later to become notable in the history of the Carolinas) are
Scotch-
Irish names "awrighty." Fer sure. German immigrants soon followed
along
arriving with Scotch-Irish immigrants all during the 1800's and 1900's
too.
Today, German-Americans are the largest ethnic group in Dublin,
Bedminster
Township, Bucks County, in fact the state of Pennsylvania, and indeed,
in the
entire United States. Almost 1 in 4 Americans has German heritage. A
Mennonite church was built by and for the first of the German
immigrants
along the "Tohickney's Deep Run" in 1846 on 50 acres given to them by
William
Allen. Today, this historical landmark can be found just north of
Dublin's
incorporated limit, where Route 113, also called Bedminster road,
crosses
Elephant Road. Please don't ask where that name came from.
In the 1848 Mexican war there was a notable General Smith who "hailed
from
Bedminster, PA." Robert Grier, a United States Supreme Court Associate
Justice from 1846 until 1870, also came from Bedminster's very first
settlers.
William Allen went on to be Pennsylvania's first colonial supreme court
justice and then in 1762 established what he named Northamptontown
farther
north in the valley of the Lehigh River. His town there was nicknamed
with
the simpler moniker of "Allen's Town." In 1838, long after his death,
when
the city of Allentown was incorporated, it became more than apparent
that, as
is so often the case, nicknames stick. Did you know that Albuquerque
was
named for Joe Buquerque's brother who died from a rattlesnake bite when
they
traveled "out west" in the days after the end of the Civil War? Just
kidding.
In the earliest days of the 1740's, there were five villages in the
township
of Bedminster: The township hall was in Bedminster village,
Bedminsterville,
in other words was located at the intersection of the roads that lead
from
Mennonite Meeting House to Keller’s Shop and from the Durham Road to
the
Dublin Road. It had a store and a schoolhouse. The name was derived
simply
for being the township "capital," like New York City, New York, or
Indianapolis, Indiana, etc. Then there was Pipersville, Hagersville,
Keelersville, and Dublin.
Pipersville was not actually given that name for over a hundred years,
until
1845. At that time, a post office had just been located there. At the
junction of the road along Deep Run and Durham Road (Easton Road),
where
today's Routes 413 and 611 meet, was George Piper’s Inn from 1784 to
1823.
Mr. Piper’s son-in-law assumed the inn on George's death, and the name
was
changed to Upper Bucks Hotel. Probably the hotel was still known as
Piper’s
Inn. So, in 1845, with a post office and a name for the town a crucial
necessity for there to be delivery before zip codes were invented, they
chose
a reliable name. They chose Pipersville.
Hagersville was a small village on the Old Bethlehem Road, the road
which
branched off from the Dublin Pike/Swamp Road extension and went due
north
towards that city. By 1850, it had a post office and a blacksmith.
Later.
it too boasted a hotel. Today, the Old Bethelhem Road only exists in
discontinuous sections and most of the road in Bedminster Township is
underneath the man-made Lake Nockamixon.
Keelersville was named for the Keichline family. It is also located on
the
Old Bethlehem Road. It's just north of Ridge Road, now Route 563, east
of
Dublin Pike, Route 313. Inns were important when travel was only done
by
day, during at least partially fair weather, and at an average speed
measured
in single digits. there was an inn and a church. By 1838, the church
was
across the street. By 1850, Keelersville had the Tohickon Church, the
Keichline Inn next door. and there was a tanyard, a store, a hotel, a
meeting
hall, a schoolhouse, and a lumber mill. Pennsylvania's native Eastern White Pine forests
made
for great construction wood supplies. Today, there is nothing to be
found
there but residences on large lots.
Dublin was always the largest of the villages in Bedminster. It was
located
on Swamp Road, today's Route 313, in the southwest corner of the
township. It
appears the town was known as Dublin before the township was formed.
With
the number of Scotch-Irish in the area, this is not surprising. The
idea of
a “double inn” would seem to be a myth. The first Tavern in the village
was
that of Robert Robins and the only thing double at this inn was a
double
wall - possibly between the inn and his house. However, the town was
Dublin
before his inn was built. It was the largest village mainly because
the
speculators who held the land as early as 1680 were not farmers -
simply land
speculators, junior William Allens, starting the suburbs just beyond
the
Philadelphia city limit. They sold off small lots - 2 acres on up -
very
early along Swamp Road which farther north became Dublin Pike, now
Route 313.
This quickly led to the development of a small village. Robinson’s farm
of 75
acres was one of the larger in the immediate vicinity.
Dublin today sits on about 320 acres. The Dublin Inn is a popular
diner.
Just a few miles west is one our SeedlingsRus' additional properties
for
growing tree saplings. Known for it's former owners, the Rice Family,
this
27-acre parcel is also just a few miles from Highland Hill Farm,
headquarters
for Highland Hill Farm and Seedlingsrus.com.
Dublin's population has just 2.8% below the poverty line, with a mean
average
income that's well above the national average. It's a comfortable
little
town, in more ways than one, you see?
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
The following notice is provided to clarify that you are responsible for your personal safety and exclude Seedlingsrus.com, Highland Hill Farm, Hirst Enterprises, or our private land owners whose lands we use of any liability in the event of an accident during a fossil hunting event or other use.
If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by at least one adult over the age of 18 on all trips.
We or any of the organisers will not be responsible or liable for your safety. There are many potential hazards in these many fossil locations, which could result in serious injury or even death. By agreeing to attend any participate you agree to take complete responsibility for your own safety and those that accompany you. We strongly recommend that everyone conducts their own risk assessment prior to attending our sites. We will offer information and personal experience relating only to our properties. We are neither qualified or experienced enough to offer safety guidance. Please read through the list of common hazards we have identified from our own personal experience.
Serious hazards to consider
1. Falling rocks - May occur with or without warning. We recommend that everyone keeps a safe distance from the cliff base to ensure no one gets hit by falling debris. In some instances, partial or complete cliff collapses may occur. For this reason you should refrain from standing too close to the cliff base. We consider the risk of falling rocks to be EXTREMELY HIGH. There could be fatalities and severe injuries from people not following these recommendations.
2.Snake Bites, bee bites, Bear and Mountain Lion attacks are all a real and life threatening possibility.
3. Rock splinters - This occurs when striking rocks with any sharp or heavy implements. You are strongly advised to bring protective eyewear. If you are in any doubt as to what constitutes suitable protection, please contact a local safety equipment supplier.
4. Flash Flooding. In some areas a flash flood may occur up stream from where you are located. Water can travel faster than you can run to safety.
Notice: In the event you find a fossil of a dinosaur or other creature,petroglyph, rock carving, or indian artifact. Your sole rights to it shall be limited to naming the creature or find. For all discoveries including dinosaurs and fossils we reserve all the rights to them. They will probably be donated to a university or museum and you will be created with its find. No monetary rights will accrue to you. We are the sole judge in the event of a dispute of any nature. I have tried to explain this in Plain English, so if this is confusing or not clear don't come!
If you have any comments, please Email Us
We deliver to the following counties in Pa:
Adams County, Clinton County, Lackawanna County, Pike County
Allegheny County, Columbia County, Lancaster County, Potter County
Armstrong County, Crawford County, Lawrence County, Schuylkill County
Beaver County, Cumberland County, Lebanon County, Snyder County
Bedford County, Dauphin County, Lehigh County, Somerset County
Berks County, Delaware County, Luzerne County, Sullivan County
Blair County, Elk County, Lycoming County, Susquehanna County
Bradford County, Erie County, McKean County, Tioga County
Bucks County, Fayette County, Mercer County, Union County
Butler County, Forest County, Mifflin County, Venango County
Cambria County, Franklin County, Monroe County, Warren County
Cameron County, Fulton County, Montgomery County, Washington County
Carbon County, Greene County, Montour County, Wayne County
Centre County, Huntingdon County, Northampton County, Westmoreland County
Chester County, Indiana County, Northumberland County, Wyoming County
Clarion County, Jefferson County, Perry County, York County
Clearfield County, Juniata County, Philadelphia County
