Believed to be a portrait of Andrew Lycans, or Andrew Lykens (1701-1756), for whom Lykens Valley, Lykens Borough, and Lykens Township are named.
The following story is adapted/edited from a brief biography written by C. H. WIllier for The Gratz Sesquicentennial Book, pages 48-49, published in 1955:
In 1732 Andrew Lycans settled on the Swatara Creek where he took up 250 acres of land. In 1740, he removed to the west side of the Susquehanna, where he settled between Sherman’s Creek and the Juniata. Four or five others also settled there.
This land had not been included in the last Indian purchase and the Shawnee Indians, who had a few scattered villages on the Juniata, complained of the encroachment of these settlers and demanded their removal. The provincial authorities sent, in 1748, the Sheriff of Lancaster County, and three magistrates, accompanied by Conrad Weiser, to warn the people to leave at once. But they remained, determined not to be driven away, at least by threats.
On 27 May 1750, a number of high dignitaries appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor, accompanied by the Deputy Sheriff, went to the place where Andrew Lycans and his neighbors lived, tool them all into custody, and burned their cabins. They were committed to jail in Lancaster.
Lycans and his neighbors were subsequently released by order of Governor Hamilton. Andrew Lycans moved with his family to the east side of the Susquehanna River beyond the Kittochtinny Mountains, and by permission of the authorities “settled on a tract of land, about 200 acres, situated on the northerly side of Whisconseong Creek.” Here he made extensive improvements. Until the spring of 1756, these pioneers were not disturbed. Then, along came the Indians and began their work of devastation and death.
On 7 March 1756, Andrew Lycans and John Rewalt, went out early to feed their cattle, when they were suddenly startled by the report of two rifles. Neither of them being harmed, they were able to reach the house, where they prepared themselves for defense in case of attack.
The Indians concealed themselves behind the hog-house, not far from the dwelling. John Lycans, a son of Andrew, John Rewalt and Ludwig Shott, a neighbor, crept out of the house in an effort to discover the whereabouts of the Indians and get a shot at them, but they were fired upon and each one wounded, Shott receiving a dangerous wound in the abdomen.
At this moment, Andrew Lycans discovered one of the Indians named Joshua James near the hog-house, and also two white men running away from their hiding place. Lycans fired and killed James.
John Lycans and John Rewalt were too badly wounded to put up a fight much longer, but with the aid of a Negro servant, they escaped, leaving Andrew Lycans, Ludwig Shott, and a boy to engage the Indians. The Indians pursued the, so closely that one of them coming up to the boy was going to strike him with a tomahawk, when Ludwig turned and shot him dead, while Lycans killed another and wounded a third Indian.
The Indian killed by Shott was named Bill Davis. Two others recognized by Lycans were Tom Hickman and Tom Gayer, all of the Delaware tribe, and well known in that neighborhood.
At last, being exhausted and wounded, they sat down on a log to rest themselves, but the Indians were somewhat cautious and stood some distance from them and momentarily ceased their pursuit, returning to look after their own wounded. Lycans and all his party managed to get over the mountain into Hanover Township, where neighbors gave them assistance, but Andrew Lycans died from his injuries and exposure.
This pioneer [Andrew Lycans] left a wife, one son and five daughters. They returned to their home as soon as the danger was over, an on more than one subsequent occasion were compelled to flee before the Indians.
The Hoffman family had to leave the valley on account of the Indian raids. There were other families along the Wiconisco that had to flee on account of the Indian raids. Adam Wise, the first justice of the peace, also had to flee, but later returned to the valley. The one attack in which Andrew Lycans was killed is the only occasion where a life was lost by the Indian incursions into the valley.
John Lycans, son of Andrew Lycans, became an officer in the provincial service, commissioned 12 July 1762. In June 1764, he was stationed at Manada Gap. His mother, Jane Lycans, in February 1765, had a patent issued to her for the land on which her husband had been located. The original Lycans loghouse stood until about 1870. It was situated a few yards north of the bridge that crosses the Wiconisco. It was built of hewn logs with windows about nine inches square, which were also used as port holes. It was then owned by Josiah Hoover. The site is now [1955] owned by Domer Shaffer.
Ludwig Shutt recovered from his serious wounds and lived until about 1802 and left a large family, some of his descendants being present [1955] residents of Lykens Valley. Several writers wrote the name Shott. Ludwig Shott (Shutt) was overseer of the poor in Upper Paxtang Township, as it was called at that time, in 1800. John Rewalt subsequently removed to another part of the province, as did John Lycans.
Andrew Lycans has given his name to the Beautiful Valley of the Wiconisco, owing possibly to his fatal encounter with the Indians, 7 March 1756. The orthography was changed with the close of the century. Whether the new spelling or the original, it is trusted that no attempt be ever made to deprive the first pioneer of the name which has bee appropriately given to it, “The Beautiful Lykens Valley.”
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The origin of the portrait is not known but it has appeared in several publications over the years. It is said to have been drawn from a description.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
[Indians] [African American]