History

East Brunswick is a farming and manufacturing township, located in the southeastern part of the county. It is bounded on the north by Walker, on the east by West Penn and on the west by West Brunswick. Its southern border is the southern limit of Schuylkill county. The surface of the township is uneven, and it is watered by the Little Schuylkill river and some small tributary streams, the chief of which is Koenig’s creek.

The township was formed from Brunswick in 1834. Thought the Indians had no village or trading point in East Brunswick, and never committed any massacres within the borders of the present township, the early settlers were often greatly annoyed by straggling savages, who came from a settlement on the Susquehanna river. A pioneer named Sherman once an Indian on the bank of the Little Schuylkill, near where New Ringgold now is. He was buried near the scene of his death.

Daniel, Jacob and Frederich Bensinger, Ulrigh Heiser, Daniel Swebb, Daniel Koening, Christopher Boyer, George Buchert, John Bolick, Abraham Seitzer, Christian Koch, Bernard Kepner, Andrew Benkes and John Kenear were the first settlers in the township. The Bensingers, Philip Schwarz and John Kenear erected the first log cabins. The first brick house in the township was built by Daniel Kerschner.

The first mail was carried on horseback from Orwigsburg through East Brunswick Township to Lehighton, once a week each way. The only postmaster in the township for some years was John Yost, son of Judge Yost. There are now three post offices in the township, two which receive daily mail.
The Catawissa road was the first laid out through East Brunswick. It extended from a point about two miles above Port Clinton, via McKeansburg, Tuscarora and Mahonay City, and thence via the Catawissa Valley to the Susquehana, and was the outlet by which the lumber of the valleys through which it passed was taken to market. At that time lumbering and hunting contributed largely to the support of the residents of East Brunswick. Deer and smaller game were plenty.

An early and well remembered tavern in East Brunswick was that of Mr Kepner, on the Catawissa road, a mile north of McKeansburg. Mr Kepner died about sixty years ago at an advanced age. There are now four public houses in the township besides the two in New Ringgold.

W.W. Munsell & Co