History:

When Cumru Township was first founded in 1737, it included Spring Township and the boroughs of Kenhorst, Mohnton, and Shillington and some areas that were incorporated into Reading. Hugh Jones bought one thousand acres of land in Cumru Township in 1732 and was its first land owner. He purchased this land along the Wyomissing Creek. The name Cumru is Welsh in origin and its name comes from the early settlers who were Welsh.

Since Cumru preceded the boroughs of Kenhorst, Mohnton and Shillington, some of the history covered here will be repetitious of their histories to some degree because the historical places and persons mentioned actually were located in Cumru although these areas later took on other identifications.

Cumru Township was split into Cumru and Spring Townships in 1850 by petition to the court of the residents to bring this about. Division of the Township had been attempted as early as 1842 and again in 1845, but these attempts proved unsuccessful because of too much opposition to the proposals by residents who opposed division. The township was huge and presented several problems for election purposes, township meetings, and road repairs. Finally, in 1850, the division was approved.

The tax lists of 1759, kept and collected by a David Evans Jr., included 142 married men and twenty single men and amounted to 106 pounds, 18 shillings and six pence.

Industries in the township were many. Although most were located along the Wyomissing Creek, some few were erected near the Angelica Creek. The industries mentioned here were located in the area that now constitutes the Governor Mifflin area as best as can be determined. The Hemmig mill-seat was located near the Lancaster Road and was torn down for a brick mill built by Joseph G. Huyett and later was operated by Benneville H. Hemmig. The water power was not strong, but the mill was excellently located. The next power up the stream was at Hendel's Hat Factory. Previous to the Hendel Hat Factory, a small woolen factory and carding mill was run by Joseph Warner. This area was known in earlier times as the old Body place. The next mill site was established before the Revolutionary Was as a place for drawing wire by Henry Voight. It then became D. Matz's saw mill. William Pennypacker operated the next mill as early as 1810 to bore out and grind rifle barrels. Cyrus Hornberger built a new mill there and later R. T. Gring established a mill in that general area. Montgomery mentions that there were many small shops for the manufacture of guns and cites people such as Cyrus Hornberger, Frank Miller, Henry Wooley (Worley), and Gougler and Heberling as gun barrel makers.