Pennsylvania pioneers Sebastian Knauss and Jacob Ehrenhardt were celebrated for their donation of approximately 100 acres of land for development of the Moravian “congregational village” of Emmaus at the Emmaus Founder’s Day Dinner July 29. The annual ticketed event was held at Fellowship Hall, Emmaus Moravian Church, 146 Main St.

Members from three local historic societies: The Knauss Homestead Preservation Society, Friends of the 1803 House and Shelter House Society came together to commemorate the past. Attendees were serenaded by the Emmaus Moravian Brass Choir while entering the hall and the Williams Duo once inside. They enjoyed dinner, cupcakes and a talk by Joshua Fink, senior museum educator and historian at Lehigh County Historical Society.

Knauss Homestead Preservation Society President Gene Clock spoke about how the village’s founding took place July 27, 1747 when Knauss and Ehrenhardt agreed to provide land from their adjoining farms for town lots.

Richard Farmer read a Pennsylvania House of Representatives proclamation “recognizing the Friends of the 1803 House and the Founder’s Day Celebration” signed by state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-22nd.

Farmer, a member of Friends of the 1803 House, pointed out the flags serving as centerpieces were miniatures of the massive flag with 15 stars and stripes that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

In his presentation of “The Life of Pennsylvania Pioneers in Lehigh County Prior to 1812,” Fink, clad in 18th century garb, discussed the host of challenges these early settlers faced. He noted 1812 is the year Lehigh County was formed out of Northampton County.

“Life was hard,” Fink repeated throughout his talk. The landscape of “Penn’s Woods” was thick with old growth trees, he explained. While the woodlands provided material for building, overland transportation involved walking or riding horseback. The narrow trails traversed by Native Americans had to be widened to create wagon roads with great effort.

Immigrants experienced hardship while packed tightly in sailing vessels which took around six months to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Fink described what life was like before modern medicine, electricity and the conveniences most take for granted these days.

“They would work from sunup to sundown,” Fink explained about the lives of 18th century farm families. Work was divided by gender at that time with men tilling the fields, women performing domestic duties and children handling a variety of chores including tending livestock.

He cited baking bread and making clothing as labor-intensive. Preparing a fire in the bake oven took all day. Linen clothing started with planting flaxseeds, harvesting the mature crop, spinning it into thread and weaving it into cloth.

“I would not want to live in the 18th century,” Fink said. “Life was hard!”

Emmaus Moravian Church, Emmaus Jewel Shop and Emmaus Run Inn hosted the 2023 celebration.