Strasburg Historic Bibles

The large Bible survived an Indian atrocity in 1764. While attacking the Miller family, the Indians placed hot coals on the opened book burning several pages. As a further act of derision, they killed the family cat and threw its body on top, smothering the fire. (Published 1738).

The smaller Bible belonged to Peter Stover who founded Strasburg in 1761.(Published 1740). Both bibles are written in German with handsome formats and illustrations.

Included in the smaller is a separate paper by Simon Harr, written in English, who was Strasburg's first schoolmaster, teaching form 1778 to 1815.

The Miller Bible: Miss Mary Brumback, is Wayland's History of Shenandoah County, tells about the tragedy that marked these pages."George Mill and family lived about three miles north of Strasburg, in the year 1764. He had a man named Mitchell punished by tying him to a whipping post for some crime he had committed. Mitchell became angered and went away, later returning with some Indians. Miller and the family were in the field spreading flax. One of his daughters was sick in bed. The Indians came and murdered the family. The girl hearing the screams ran to the window and beheld the fate of here family. She jumped from the window and ran to the Paul Frowman's place. After killing them the Indians ...entered the house, killed the cat, placed it on the family Bible, a German Folio, and set fire to it, but the leaves being so compressed by the weight of the cat, did not burn but a little."

A Letter from Simon Harr is placed in the Peter Stover Bible and reads as follows:

"On the First of July 1759, I Simon Harr (born the 3rd of July 1734) married Elizabeth Schmitten. Two sons were born to us. The first one Frederic, by name, was born the 4th of April 1760 on good Friday evening at 10 o'clock. The second and last, John by name (Johannes) was born in 1761, on the 19th of Dec. at midnight.

Thou, O Triune God, may it please thee to let them grow and develop as well in faith, wisdom and piety and all Christian virtues as in years. Oh vouchsafe to all of us thy Holy Spirit, that it guide us all in truth together and bring us along the strait path and even nearer to our heavenly inheritance and finally bring us hither. For Jesus sake, Amen"

S. Harr, Oct. 21, 1773