Tracing a line of what appears to be nearest to the truth in the maze of stories, conjectures, and traditions which surround the movements of the early Kreiders in Pennsylvania, there appears to be substantial fact in the historian's record that two brothers, John and Jacob Kreider, blazed a trail from the Kreider settlement on the Conestoga near the pesent site of Lancaster and located lands on Snitz creek, for which they received grants from the Penn heirs in 1741. The records show that to John "Croyder" was granted 300 acres of land on June 3, 1741, and to Jacob "Croyder" a tract of 250 acres was granted on the same date. Tradition says that these two brothers came over South Mountain and brought an ax along cutting off the sprouts and marking the trees so they could find their way back and forth through the primeval forests. Other land grants of an early date were, 200 acres to John Croyter, Aug. 26, 1742, 100 acres to John Creyter, Jan. 12, 1751, 20 acres to John Kreiter, Oct. 18, 1758. Allowing for the uncertainty of the spelling of the name at that time, it is possible that all these grants were to one and the same man, making a total of 620 acres of land to John Kreider, one of the two first settlers. Jacob Kreider died about 1747 and the next year his widow, Mary Kryter, according to the records received a grant of 200 acres of land June 15, 1748. This would make a total of 450 acres for the Jacob Kreider family. Another grant of 50 acres was made to Francis Kryter, April 4, 1750.
It would seem therefore that the date June 3, 1741, and the names John and Jacob Kreider are safe data upon which to begin the history of the Kreiders of Lebanon county. Just who these two settlers were is a problem, as yet not solved to the satisfaction of everyone.
Beginning May 22, 1919, two installments weekly appeared in the Lebanon Daily News under the title "History of the Kreider Family." These articles continued until September 11, 1919, and were written by the Rev. J. G. Francis. Clippings were made and assembled in a scrap book, which may be found a the Pennsylvania Historical Society in Philadelphia. We are indebted to this work for most of our information relative to the Lebanon Kreiders. It consumed a great deal of time and energy to collect and compile the information given and it is most unfortunate that some means was not available to have it printed in book form, so that it could be distributed to all those interested. Possibly the files of this newspaper have the complete records as printed and an arrangement could yet be made whereby this work could be placed in the hands of the Kreider descendants.
Returning to the Kreider settlers on Snitz Creek, we note that Rev. Francis reaches the conclusion that John and Jacob Kreider were brothers and that Jacob, who went to Snitz Creek in 1741, was the original settler of the Kreider family, who took up 800 acres of land south of Lancaster in 1716 or 1717. This same Jacob Kreider according to history, came to Philadelphia from Switzerland in 1710, spent some time with friends in Germantown and then moved to the Lancaster section about six years later. So far the history of Rev. Francis is supported by records, but in his next move of the first settler Kreider he jumps to a conclusion that must be something of a guess. He believes that when Lancaster was laid out in 1730 it was discovered that some of the titles to the lands of the settlers had not been completed and that Jacob Kreider was one of the unfortunates who lost his land. Then with his brother John he moved to the location already mentioned within the present limits of Lebanon county.
So long as there are no supporting records to prove that Jacob Kreider did lose his lands in this manner and did move to Snitz Creek, there must be considerable doubt as to whether or not he ever moved out of the Lancaster settlement. The oldest Kreider Will on record in Lancaster county shows that Jacob Kreider, the original settler, made a will in 1740. He had three sons, John, Jacob and Michael. A legal document quoted by Rev. Francis shows that the Jacob Kreider who settled at Snitz Creek in 1741 had eight sons and one daughter, among the sons a John and a Jacob, but no Michael.
It would seem, too, that if the Lancaster Jacob Kreider lost his lands some time after 1730, he would have taken up other land in the same locality instead of waiting until 1741, when he was evidently an old man, and then going to make a fresh start in an unknown wilderness. Then, again, since it appears that the two who went to Lebanon county were brothers, where did his brother John come from that we have never heard of him before? Is it not more logical to think that two sons of the original Jacob were the John and Jacob that settled on Snitz Creek?
To determine these problems with any degree of definiteness there must be many months and years of wearying work spent in examining the old musty records that are still in existence and even then there will be gaps to be filled only through a reasoning process. Most of the early Kreiders were Mennonites, a sect which kept few or no records, and the church record which is of such great value to the genealogist is in the case of this family a thing that is not. The sources of information must be the early archives of Pennsylvania, the recorder's office, tax returns, old wills, and particularly the old land deeds which recite the succession of lands from parents to children or the division of an estate among members of the family.
We have tried in the limited space to tell a little of the very beginning of the Lebanon Kreider family. It is a matter of pride to all the Kreiders that the Lebanon county has done more for the Kreider name than any other section of the country. It is with a glow of satisfaction that we point out the career of the late A. S. Kreider. From a humble beginning he became a captain of industry, a leader in education, a financial success, and a statesman of no mean order. He is without doubt the most illustrious and well known Kreider that has yet lived. The career of William H. Kreider, lawyer of Philadelphia, President of the Civil Service Commission, is one that shows what the country boy with energy and pluck may accomplish in the life and politics of a great city. Professor D. Albert Kreider of Yale University is well and favorably known in the field of education. It is a great compliment to any man to be received within the exclusive circles of one of the world's greatest educational institutions.
We congratulate you, Lebanon county, on what you have done for the Kreider name. There are more of you that should be eulogized as individuals, but as time and space are limited we must close by including you all in that staunch and loyal band which has been the real bone and sinew of America's greatness. Not with flowery speech, nor with roll of drums, nor with blare of trumpets, have they served in the battle of progress, but with honest toil, faithful to their trust, they have served more for the ideal of service than with the hope of reward. The need of such people is greater today than ever. May ever be faithful to your trust, the good name that your fathers have left to you.
First Annual Report of the Committee on Kreider-Greider Genealogy - August 7th 1929