Interesting Historical Facts About Macungie

Originally, the term “Macungie” is a Lenape Indian phrase that corresponds to the “feeding place of the bears.” This was how the early German immigrants in Pennsylvania translated it. But the spelling of the term has significantly changed over the years. Some of the earlier spellings were Macongy, Maguntsche, Machkunschi, and Macungy.

Before the arrival of the first settlers, the area where the actual borough is now located was a very abundant place for hunting, coupled with lush meadows, deep swamps, as well as primeval forests full of fish. However, the most important attraction was the mach-kun-schi region, where a rich source of jasper laid untouched for thousands of years.

Settlement

The first known settlers in this region were the German Immigrants. They settled here in 1735. The first community was then cold as Millerstown. Today, it is officially called as Borough of Macungie. The old name (Millerstown) was coined by Peter Miller, a resident of Upper Hanover Township in Montgomery County, during the time when he purchased a big chunk of the land. By November 15, 1857, the once village of Millerstown eventually become incorporated as a borough.

A rebellion occurred in 1800 and the U.S. Marshal was arresting individuals for offenses like tax resistance. The marshal then eventually reached Millerstown and a good number of people formed and decided to protect one of their own from being arrested. So the marshal just went on without further incident and returned to Bethlehem.

By the year 1875 and the unrest was incrementally disappearing, the borough of Millerstown was renamed as Macungie. The purpose was to avoid any confusion with another town that bears the same name, or specifically the Millerstown located in Perry County. During the colonization, Macungie was situated in the eastern part of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

The current and official seal of Macungie showcases a bear that coming to drink water near the cattails. The name of the borough is connected to the bear while in the past, the term “Macungie” actually had several alternate spellings, depending on who’s pronouncing or writing it. The alternate spellings include Maccongy, Kunshi, Machts, Macungy, and many others.

In the present day, Macungie is politically and geographically a part of Lehigh County, being a borough. It lies in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. It bears great significance for both the county and the state as a whole. This is because it is the second oldest borough in the county and at the same time considered as a suburb of the city of Allentown, PA, which in turn lies in the popular Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

Famous People from Macungie

Finally, there are some notable personalities who hail from this small but prosperous borough of Macungie. The list includes Keith Dorney, a retired professional football player who played for the Detroit Lions, Christine Taylor (wife of comedy actor Ben Stiller), Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios, Nicole Reinhart (former professional cyclist), and Michelle Marciniak – a former professional basketball player and coach.