Bally, a borough incorporated in 1912 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is located in Washington Township (established 1832), part of Hereford Township, earlier Colebrookdale, part of "Manatant" (Manatawny). The Hereford area was described as near Cowissioppin, now Goshenhoppen, a name sometimes given the area. Mennonites owned the land and worshiped here prior to 1725; they then were in the "Manatant" congregation, the westernmost of the congregations in the later Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church). After the division of 1847 there also was located here the Hereford Mennonite (General Conference Mennonite) Church, incorporated in 1893. William H. Bechtel established a post office here named Bally for Father Augustin Bally, priest, 1837-1882, in the local Catholic congregation established in 1741.      

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 217. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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