What a surprise we had when the Craig family, from Australia, showed up at Horner’s Cemetery in Northampton for a summer tour.

It took David and Andrea (Craig) Woodward, and her sister Stephanie, over 20 hours just to get to Philadelphia. Why the importance?

The towns of Northampton and Bath, along with Allen and East Allen townships, were all part of Craig’s Scotch-Irish Settlement (1728).

These visitors were the first direct Craig family descendants to visit this area in as long as I can remember. It was an absolutely historical event.

The settlement is the oldest permanent settlement in Northampton County, and the cemetery is Northampton County’s oldest (1745).

The settlement’s congregation (1730) and church (1731) were also the oldest. This was 13 years before the Moravians.

If you live in Allen Township, you may already recognize the important founder’s names of McNair, Walker, King, Gray, Wilson and Hays.

All of these founders, and many more, are all included in the tours of Horner’s Cemetery. Come out and hear the history of our beginnings.

Hear about President Theodore’s family roots from this settlement and Benjamin Franklin’s stay at Hay’s Tavern, now the Weaversville Inn.

Even though the cemetery is only an acre, meet our three generals and 18 veterans from four wars, along with the William Penn’s families’ surveyor.

Visit Jane Horner, the first woman killed by Indians in Northampton County. The church’s pastor was the first cleric to die in the Revolution.

Meet our delegate to the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention and the builders of Fort Ralston and Fort Wilson that are still visible.

Visit our surgeon general of 1777 and our deputy surveyor general of Pennsylvania, along with the state and county government officials.

The last public tour for the summer is Oct. 8. Only private tours will be offered after that day.

For more information, call 610-837-1757 or visit the new website, hornerscemetery.org.