Submitted by Leona Baker, Historical Society of Salisbury Township

William Penn was granted land in the American colonies by King Charles II of England in 1681. Penn and his companions explored the area and made treaties of peace with the indigenous people.

By 1701, European pioneers had established firm routes to the unknown lands of what became Lancaster County. Penn felt the need to reestablish a firm relationship with the Delaware branch of the Susquehannock Native Americans, which had settled in what is known today as Columbia. Penn travelled west on the Minquas Trail from Philadelphia. There is a sign in Gap that commemorates the trail. (The sign is near McDonald's on Route 30.)

The east-west Minquas Trail and its intersecting Octoraro Trail had been travelled for hundreds of years. Tribes often came together there for events. So popular was this area as a meeting place, the local tribes established a small garden of squash, corn and beans, which served as a base for meals for those who rested here. It became a natural travel lane for the immigrating European pioneers who called it Gap-in-the-Hills.

Penn and his party were greeted there by several high ranking members of the Delaware tribe whose intent was to escort Penn's party to Columbia. The tired travelers are reputed to have camped the night near where the Gap Post Office is today. Legend says their native hosts served a meal from the garden nearby. Entertainment for the night would have been Native American dancing, which Penn is reported to have joined. The cave Penn presumably slept in that night was covered up when Chestnut Street was paved in the early 20th century.

In the morning, before heading for Columbia, Penn and the chiefs signed a parchment peace agreement and Penn was presented with a belt of promised loyalty. It is believed that the flat rock on which that treaty was signed is today called Penn's Rock and stands at the south end of Chestnut Street.

Traditionally made of purple quahog clam and white mollusk shells tumbled by the sea into round bead-like form, the beads on the belt were woven together in a set pattern to signify strength and friendship. The original belt presented to William Penn in 1701 is carefully preserved in the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg today.

At the 300th anniversary celebration of Penn's trip through Gap in 2001, a re-enactor portraying William Penn returned to sign the peace treaty in a tricentennial ceremony held at the Salisbury Community Township Park. At the event, a representative of the Susquahannocks presented him with a belt. This time, the belt was a replica. The original 1701 weaving was made of leather strips instead of today's thread, and the beads were more cylindrical. The belt and the accompanying card were made by Salisbury Elementary School fifth-grader Chris Johnson. The belt features more than 3,000 beads. The belt is now in the Historical Society of Salisbury Township's artifacts collection.

Some information for this article was gathered from the 2011 issue of Native Peoples Magazine and "A History of Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania" by Joan Lorenz.