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Tulpehocken Genealogy


​T​ulpehocken is the 18th century name used to describe the region in which Conrad Weiser and other settlers lived. It is the corruption of a Delaware Indian word that means “land of the turtle.” Today, the Tulpehocken Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, still bares this early place name.

The first European settlers came to the Tulpehocken from the Schoharie region of New York in 1723. Over a dozen families followed the Susquehanna River and the Swatara Creek to settle near present day Womelsdorf. Many other German families, including the Weisers, took the same route. By 1730, other German settlers, who traveled through the port of Philadelphia, made their way into the backcountry settlement of Tulpehocken.

Originally, the entire Tulpehocken region was within Lancaster County. In 1752, Berks County was founded out of parts of Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia Counties. A part of the new county included some of the Tulpehocken region while some of it remained in Lancaster County. In 1785, Lancaster County again was divided and the northern portion became the new County of Dauphin. The Tulpehocken region was then within Berks and Dauphin Counties. In 1813, Dauphin County was divided, and the southeastern portion became Lebanon County. Today, the Tulpehocken region is in Berks and Lebanon Counties.