Almost all of the early settlers practiced mixed subsistence farming and had to be self-sufficient. Mostly Germans from the Palatinate, they brought seeds and, when possible, livestock on the trans-Atlantic voyage, carrying generations of knowledge of crops and animals and seeking a new homeland where they could live and farm in peace, own their land, and practice their preferred religion. The first arrivals chose the best land for homesteads, needing spring water for themselves, creek water for animals, fertile soil, creekside meadows, and native grasses to sustain livestock until fodder could be harvested. The rich limestone soils in the valleys of the Little Lehigh, Swabin, and Jordan creeks became prime locations for settlement, while chestnut and black walnut trees provided lumber for log houses and barns. German farmers in this area became famous among early travelers, especially for their admired log barns and the comfortable housing they built for animals. This became a permanent homeland rather than a stop on the way to farther frontiers, and most became naturalized so they could purchase land by pledging loyalty to the English king. Their prosperity grew as they cleared and planted more land each year, and by dividing land among their children they created a legacy that continued into the 1700s descendants remembered by many residents. In 1828, Anne Royall praised the region’s rich land, large farms, orchards, fine barns and houses, sleek cattle, and the care and skill of Pennsylvania farmers, writing that they had made farming a perfect science and that generations had become rich on the same land. European visitors often wrote positively about Pennsylvania German farmers, and in the mid-1780s the French botanist André Michaux associated superior fields, better fences, comfort, and well-being with German settlements. In a 1789 essay, Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote that Pennsylvania Germans first built large accommodations for horses and cattle before improving their own houses, fed animals well, used stoves economically instead of large fireplaces, and lived frugally in diet, furniture, and dress. Benjamin Franklin, however, feared the political and social influence of German immigrants in Pennsylvania and complained that they would Germanize the colony rather than adopt English language and customs.