How did Lahaska Hill in Pennsylvania get its name? This page provides a brief history about the naming of Lahaska Hill, the people who settled upon it, and the industry rising around it.
Lahaska Hill forms part of a ridge in Buckingham Township extending from the source of Lahaska Creek to Spring Valley, with a mean elevation of about 320 feet. The name Lahaska Hill is usually confined to the part of the ridge on which Buckingham Friends’ Meeting House and the village of Lahaska stand. It is often popularly called Buckingham Hill. The ridge forms the northwestern boundary of Buckingham valley and Buckingham Mountain forms its southwestern boundary, with Lahaska Creek flowing between them. The general trend of both ridges is northeast and southwest. The Indian name for Lahaska Hill was Legau-miska or Lekau-miska,-legau, lekou, sand or gravel; miska, soil: hence, “sandy or gravelly soil.” Early white settlers corrupted this name into Lackamissa and Lackawissa. Some cartographers on their maps applied the word Lackamissa to Buckingham Mountain and writers have also called the mountain Lahaska Mountain, both of which appear to be incorrect. The Old York Road (Route 202) crosses Lahaska Hill, which attains its extreme elevation of 345 feet at Buckingham Friends’ Meeting House on this highway. The brow of the ridge at this point affords a fine view of the valley to the southwest.