A Mystery Skeleton in Perry County
Lancaster Weekly New Era, June 17, 1882 An interesting discovery was made in 1882 when a skeleton was unearthed just above Duncannon. While details are scarce, the fact that the body had been buried in a shallow grave, without a coffin, seems to suggest that the bones were not those of a member of the Baskins family-- a wealthy and influential family who could certainly afford a proper burial for a loved one. Is it possible that one of the leading families of Perry County succeeded in committing the perfect crime? The Baskins' were among the earliest settlers of Penn Township. James Baskins took up residence along the Juniata River in the 1760s, taking out a warrant for 300 acres in what is now the northern section of Duncannon, directly across the river from Duncan's Island. He also owned a portion of the island, and soon grew wealthy by operating a ferry. The settlement around the ferry came to be known as Baskinsville. James' daughter married Alexander Stephens, a vete...
