There is an abundance of Harshbarger's in the state of Virginia. They seem to be found into specific areas. One is in the greater Shenandoah Valley including Shenandoah County, Page County, Rockingham County and Augusta County. This area is rich with Scotch/Irish, Scottish and German descendants. The earliest Harshbargers in this area migrated to Philadelphia down through Frederick County, Maryland into Frederick County, Virginia and settled in Shenandoah County, Virginia. The 1990 Virginia Census listed seven people named Harshbarger (in various spellings. One Christian Hirschberger was listed as having 11 white souls in one dwelling and one extra dwelling. There was also listed a John Hershberger, a John, Isaac, and Frederick Harshbarger a Christian Hersberger and Frederick Herschberger.

In earlier documents concerning Shenandoah County, Virginia there was also listed a Henrich Herschberger. This man came from Germany and 1760. His children were listed as Christian, Elizabeth, Jacob, Anna, John, Henry, Abraham, Christina, Samuel, Daniel, and David Herschberger. Since he died in 1788 it is most likely several of those men listed on the 1790 Census were his sons. A John Hershberger and Isaac Hershberger probably were not directly related to the others. The Christian Hirschberger came from Germany on the ship "St. Andrews" to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sept. 9, 1749. I have much more information about the Valley Harshbargers and their descendants. It is easier to answers rather thsn History.