A young man by the name of Hans Dries Weikert was born in Rheinland-Pfatz, Germany in 1735. His dreams were large and wanted to start a new life in the land of freedom. However, being 18, with his family always on the run for not paying taxes, he left and accompanied other immigrants to Rotterdam, Netherlands. He boarded a ship called the Neptune in June 1753, and he found safe passage to the port of Philadelphia as he arrived in September 1753.
The manifesto from the Neptune still exists (highlighted area):
After finding a way of transportation, he first settled near Philadelphia, and then moved further west into Lancaster County. As he travelled west, John Weikert would find property in the Mount Pleasant township. He would marry Mary Thorogood Eve between 1755-1760. John would then purchase 230 acres of land between White Hall and Square Corner in Conewago.
These farms that the Weikert’s have around the Battlefield around the time of the Civil War. The bankbarn at the Jacob Weikert Farm was a battlefield hospital that Tillie Pierce took care of soldiers within.
- George Weikert Farm – Along United States Avenue
- John Weikert Farm – Crawford/Wheatfield Intersection
- Andrew Weikert Farm – Along Fairfield Road
- Jacob Weikert Farm – Along the Taneytown Pike
- At the Jacob Weikert Farm, Tillie Pierce cared for injured soldiers such as:
- Brigadier-Genenal Stephen Weed
- Lieutenant Charles Hazlett
- Colonel Patrick O’Rorke
- At the Jacob Weikert Farm, Tillie Pierce cared for injured soldiers such as:
You can see the geographical importance of the Round Tops compared to the Jacob Weikert Farm, which is on the top right with the bankbarn and the house within the picture.