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A HISTORY
OF
CATAS^UQU^
IN
LEHIGH COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
BY
James F. Lambert and Henry J. Reinhard
1914
The Searle & Dressier Co., Inc.
AUentown, Pa.
TO
THE MEMORY
OF THE CHARACTER
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
OF OUR NOBLE TOWNSMEN
PAST AND PRESENT
AND AS AN INSPIRATION
TO THE POSTERITY OF CATASAUQUA
IS THIS VOLUME
DEDICATED.
James F. Lambert
Henrtj J. Re'inhard
DcAUon F. GouM
jsa^
Gus. E. Oswald
Alfred C. Lewi!
FOREWORD
At a regularly called meeting of the Historical Committee of the Old Home
Week Association, held in the parlors of the Phoenix Fire Co., November 29, 1913,
James F. Lambert and Henry J. Reinhard were unanimously elected editors of a
proposed History of Catasaucpa, which it was resolved to publish.
At a meeting of the same Committee held in the Directors ' Room of the High
School Building, May 6, 1914, it was resolved that one thousand copies of the
History be printed.
History is a written statement of what is known; an account of that which
exists or has existed. The task of the historian lies in his search for authenticity.
The editors of this volume addressed letters and series of questions to practically
every industry and individual in Catasauqua, inquiring after definite data, in
order that they might make the subject-matter authoritative. "Many men, many
minds, ' ' is verified by the fact that more than once have they heard two persons
of equal intelligence relate the same incident along such vastly different lines
that it did not at all seem like the same incident. May the reader who will
discover fancied inaccuracies be sure to balance well his own mind and recollect
that there are other minds, both clear and strong, that see or recall the incident
from a different angle.
Furthermore, the editors of this book did not write an essay on the subject
assigned them. They have not expanded on the philosophy of the theme. They
have striven diligently to tell the true story of the life of Catasauqua, and her
people, in the briefest form possible. This they did and nothing more.
For the prompt and many courteous replies to their inquiries they are truly
grateful. They deem it a privilege to acknowledge the benevolent courtesy of
Mr. William H. Glace, Esq., who favored them with his recent book (1914) on
' ' Early History and Reminiscences of Catasauqua, ' ' with permission to ' ' take all
or such portions as you desire in the preparation of your pamphlet for Old Home
Week." They beg further to acknowledge worthy contributions by James S.
VII
Stillman, Frank M. Horn, Wm. H. Schneller, Esq., J. S. Blverson, Dr. Charles
Milson, Sarah J. Melntyre, the Clergy of Catasauqua, and others whose sugges-
tions they valued most highly. In response to the solicitation of the editors the
firm of Geo. V. Millar and Company, Printers and Publishers, of Scranton, Pa.,
loaned them the free use of certain cuts of scenes in and about town, which are in-
serted in this Volume. Attention was drawn to them through a beautiful
Souvenir of Catasauqua, published by this progressive firm, and for sale by
Messrs. A. J. Etheredge & Co. The editors hereby express their cordial gratitude
to Messrs. Geo. V. Millar & Co. for their courtesy.
For obvious reasons the editors were not in a position to begin their work
until the middle of March. Their regular duties, as Pastor of a large parish in
one instance, and Supervising Principal of the Schools in the other, could not be
neglected. Therefore, they prevailed upon their friends : Gus. E. Oswald, Prin-
cipal of the High School ; Alfred C. Lewis, Instructor in the Commercial Depart-
ment ; and De Alton F. Gould of the Department of English in the High School
to assist them in their work, so as to enable them to bring forth this book in
ample time for the Celebration. They have chosen to express their cordial ap-
preciation of the valuable services of these gentlemen by placing their cuts on the
editorial page.
If time and space did not forbid they would most gladly have inserted many
more biographies and reminiscences. No doubt some persons and incidents will
come to mind, after the last proof will have been returned to the printers, which
should have been inserted by all means. But, human work is never perfect.
That the perusal of this volume may prove both pleasing and profitable to
all is their ardent wish.
THE EDITORS.
June 1, 1914.
VIII
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I— CATASAUQUA.
Page
Boundary Adjusted 6
Bridges 7
Bridge, Crane Company P
Change of Name 3
Canal 13
Communication (Telephones) 33
Charity Society 35
Civic League 36
Drinking Fountains 23
Early Settlers i
Extension 6
Expressage and Telegraphy 16
Four Families 2
Fire Protection 23
Phoenix Fire Company 24
Southwark Hose Company No. 9 26
Charotin Hose Company No. 1 28
East End Independent Hose and Chemical Company No. 1 29
Incorporation 4
Light, Heat and Power 30
Mail Service 14
Pumping Station 22
Police Force 34
CHAPTER II.— INDUSTRIES.
Page
Auto Service, Peerless 72
Boiler Compound, Young's 69
Boiler Works, Catasauqua 67
Brewery, Eagle 59
Brewery, Catasauqua 60
Crane Iron Works 38
Corporate Existence 42
Acquisition of Rights 43
Empire Steel and Iron Company 45
Car, Wheel and Axle Works, Lehigh 57
Davies and Thomas Company 53
Dispatch, Catasauqua 63
Emanuel and Company 67
F. W. Wint and Company 51
Fire Brick Works, Lehigh 62
IX
Page
furniture Company, Herrington 72
Grist Mill, Mauser and Crebsman , 49
Garage, Catasauqua 71
Horse Shoe Company, Bryden 64
Iron Company, Thomas 46
Ice Company, Crystal 73
Motor Car Works, Catasauqua 72
Planing Mill, Goldsmith 68
Pine Olein Company 53
Rubber Company, Leicester 70
Silk Company, Wahnetah 65
Silk Mill, Dery 66
Silk Company, Catasauqua 71
Thermometer Works, Keys 71
CHAPTER III— CHURCHES,
Pag
Congregational, Bethel Welsh 118
Evangelical, Immanuel 79
Episcopal, St. Stephen's 119
Greek Catholic 122
Lutheran, St. Paul's 89
Lutheran, Holy Trinity 116
Methodist Episcopal, Grace 108
Presbyterian, First 74
Presbyterian, Bridge Street 84
Presbyterian, Hokendauqua 113
Reformed, Salem 96
Roman Catholic, St. Mary's 101
Roman Catholic, St. Lawrence 106
Roman Catholic, St. Andrew's Slovak 125
United Evangelical, St. John's 121
CHAPTER IV.— SCHOOLS
Page
Buildings . 128
Bible in Schools • 140
Current Accounts and Salaries 134
Colored Children 139
Clock and Bell 143
Class Day 143
Deaths in the Board 144
High School 136
Lectures 143
Music 142
Museum 142
Night School ' 144
Organization and Enrollment 134
X
Page
Patriotism 140
Physical Culture 142
Reports, Monthly 142
School Board, Present 145
Tunnel , 143
Teachers' Meeting 141
Teachers, Present Corps of 145
Teachers, Complete List of 146
Valuation and Assessments 134
The North Catasauqua Schools 148
CHAPTER v.— FRATERNAL AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Page
Auquasat Club 165
Charotin Club 165
Catasauqua Club 164
Choral Society, The Catasauqua 179
Degree of Pocahontas 168
I. O. O. F., Catasauqua Lodge No. 269 150
I. 0. O. F., Fraternity Encampment No. 156 ' 153
Jr. O. U. A. M 161
Knights of Friendship 160
Knights of Golden Eagle, Catasauqua Castle No. 241 158
Knights of Malta 163
Lyceum Club 166
Masons, F. and A., Porter Lodge No. 284 152
Moose, Loyal Order of 169
P. O. S. of A., No. 301 154
Pioneer Band 171
Rebekah Lodge, No. 159 158
Red Men, Improved Order of 156
Royal Arch Chapter No. 278 163
Russian Orthodox Society, St. Syril 163
Shepherds of Bethlehem, Order of 164
St. Peter and St. Paul Society 165
St. Andrew's Societies 170
T. A. B. Society, St. Lawrence 161
Temperance Society 169
Woodmen of the World 168
The Soldiers
G. A. R., Fuller Post 171
Soldiers' Monument 172
46th Regiment 174
47th Regiment 174
Other Volunteers 175
Spanish American War Volunteers 176
XI
CHAPTER VI.— BANKS.
Page
The National Bank of Catasauqua , 180
The Lehigh National Bank 186
Building and Loan Associations:
Home, The 188
Catasauqua, The 189
Lehigh, The 189
CHAPTER VII.-TRADESMEN AND CRAFTSMEN
Page
Acme Beef Company 203
Applegate, J. & Sons 190
Bachman, Ammon H 206
Baumer, Robert 226
Beck and Frey 212
Beitel & Son, Time Pieces 216
Benko, Martin 196
Bowen Grocery 194
Bower, C. D. W 202
Boyer, E. J 192
Buss, William J 208
Campbell, F. J 213
Case, Titus R 220
Catasauqua Mercantile Company . . 192
Clark, William B 209
Childs Grocery Company 194
Deemer and Litzenberger 206
Deily, George B. F 190
Donkel, Mrs. Winfield S 200
Dotterer, D. M 196
Eckensberger, Harry F 220
Edgar, Mrs. Mary 200
Edgar Brothers 200
Erdman, Elmer E 219
Feenstra, John K 221
Fehr, Clinton 199
Fisher, John 216
Fitzhugh, George W 223
Five and Ten Cent Store 198
Frederick and Scherer 218
Frey, Charles W 208
Fuller Oil & Supply Company 205
Geiger, Peter 197
Gemmel, Samuel P 209
Giering, Oliver H 225
Gillespie, David, Jr 191
Page
Goldsmith, George C. D 194
Graffln Brothers 206
Granite Works, Catasauqua 222
Hauser, A. A 203
Hauser, H. 204
Harris, Henry 195
Heckenberger Drug Store 215
Heffelfinger, Mrs. James 199
Hersh Hardware Company 210
Hoch, John W 207
Hoffman & Follweiler 221
Holtzleicer, William T 196
Ice Cream 198
Johnston, William E 227
Keener, Elvin 204
Kemp, Charles 212
Kibler, A. H 198
Klingler, Frank 204
Koch and Younger 198
Kozlowski, Mrs. Wanda 196
Kuehner, William F 203
Kurtz, Philip F 196
Laubach, John J 202
Lawall Brothers 214
Lipsky, Jacob W 212
Matchette, Joseph & Son 206
Mark, William B 208
Miller, Alfred L 213
Miller, Ira H. 214
Milson, Daniel, Jr 207
Milkmen 197
Missmer, James E 191
Missmer, John H 226
Moyer, Morris H 200
Newhard, Frank H. D.
220
XII
Page
O'Donnell, Anthony 195
Onushak, Harry 195
Oldt, Edwin 221
Ostheimer, A 211
Peters, Calvin D 222
Reitzler, Nicholas 201
Roth, C. F 214
Roth, Samuel A 226
Roxberry, William 225
Sacks, John G 201
Sacks, William A 201
Schick and Hausman 212
Schieler, A. E. Company 213
Schifreen, Solomon 213
Schneller, John P 210
Schneller, Charles W 209
Schneider, Charles 210
Seyfried, James J 193
Sharpe, Robert 217
Sheckler, Charles E., Jr 221
Smith, Quintus H 224
Page
Smith, George 195
Smith, Owen J 201
Smith, W. J. Company 205
Snyder, Frank 201
Steinhilber, W. B 191
Streham, John 211
Taylor, Joseph, and Sons 190
Theatre, The Majestic 227
Theatre, The Palace 228
Walker, Philip P 202
Walp Shoe, The 211
Weaver, Oscar 201
Weisley, William 191
Weiss, Edwin 226
Webber, Matthew F 193
Wertman, Henry J ; 208
Williams, William S 197
Wotring, H. S 193
Wotring, Milton D 193
Young, Frank A 200
Zellers 223
Zieser, E. J 195
CHAPTER VIIl— HOTELS.
Page
American 229
Biery's 229
Bottling Plant 237
Catasauqua Brewery Saloon, The 235
Catasauqua House, The 233
Eagle, The 230
Farmers, The 233
Horse Shoe House, The 236
Imperial, The 234
Liquor Store 237
Mansion House, The 236
Northampton House, The 234
Oriental, The 236
Pennsylvania, The 231
St. George's, The 234
Union Hotel, The 235
Walker, The '. 237
XIII
CHAPTER IX.-PROFESSIONAL MEN
„ Page
Becker, Dr. Alfred J 247
Dentistry 250
Glace, William H 252
Glick, Austin A 258
Heckenberger, Dr. William A 249
Hornbeck, Dr. M. E 242
Hornbeck, Dr. James L 243
Hammersly, R. Clay 256
Keim, Dr. C. J .244
Keim, Dr. H. J. S 245
Koons and Son 260
Mclntyre, Dr. George : 238
Milson, Dr. Charles E 246
Quig, Dr. Frederick W 238
Quinn, Thomas , 261
Rehrig, J. Edward, D. D. S 251
Riegel, Dr. H. H 238
Riegel, Dr. W. A 240
Roth, Cornelius F 262
Schneller, Dr. John S 249
Schneller, William H 259
Stine, Oscar J 257
Scherer, Dr. Thomas A 246
Ulrich, Alexander N 257
Ulrich, Charles N 258
Willoughby, Wesley, D. D. S 250
Yoder, Dr. Daniel 241
CHAPTER X.— BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Page
Beitel, James C 308
Biery, Jonas 263
Biery, Solomon 263
Biery, Daniel 263
Breinig, George 265
Breinig, Simon 265
Buck, Henry H 338
Chapman, Charles W 301
Davis, David 317
Davis, Daniel 319
Davies, George 321
Deily, Jacob 266
Deily, George 267
Deily, Francis J 267
Dery, D. George 336
Page
Eberhard, Frederick 283
Eberhard, Peter J 285
Eberhard, Ferdinand 284
Faust, John Philip 264
Faust, Jonas 264
Frederick, George 277
Frederick, Owen 277
Frederick, Ogden E 278
Frederick, T. F 278
Fuller, James W., 1st 285
Fuller, James W., 2nd 286
Gillespie, David 293
Gilbert, Mrs. Ellen C 345
Graffln, Charles 310
Griffith, David R 337
XIV
Page
Holton, George E 343
Horn, Col. Melchior H 295
Horn, Frank M 294
Hudders, John 283
Hunt, David 313
Hunt, Joshua 311
Hunter, John 282
Jones, Thomas 291
Kildare, William M 328
Kohler, Richard 341
Kostenbader, Herman 313
Kurtz, John George 266
Lawall, Jacob 299
Lackey, James 295
Leibert, John 297
Lewis, Arnold C 302
Lewis, William G 303
Matchette, Capt. Joseph 306
McKee, William W 336
Mclntyre, John 281
Mclntyre, Robert 280
McClellan, William 282
Milson, Daniel 298
Morrison, John 323
Moyer, Jonas F 334
Page
Nevins, James 298
Peckitt, Leonard 344
Peter, John 268
Phillips, William 282
Randall, Edmund 315
Roberts, Jacob 340
Schneller, Charles G 290
Seaman, Henry J 342
Snyder, Jonathan 268
Snyder, William T 289
Storm, Philip 305
Swartz, Benjamin F 333
Thomas, David 268
Thomas, Samuel 271
Thomas, Edwin 273
Thomas, William R 274
Thomas, James • 275
Weaver, Valentine W 323
Weaver, Benjamin H 325
Williams, David R 320
Williams, John 328
Williams, Robert E 330
Williams, Oliver 331
Younger, William 326
CHAPTER XL— REMINISCENCES.
Page
Breinig Buys a Farm 351
Conrad Weiser Letter 355
Canal Excursion 357
Choral Society 361
David Thomas Letter 347
Dramatic Club 353
Early Ordinances 347
Emanuel Employment 349
Esther Hudders 350
Furnace Visitors 359
Floods 359
Friday in School 361
Gas Bags : . 349
Game of Ball 362
Grave Diggers 364
Irish Parade 352
Indian Relics 355
Maggie Jones and the Circus 350
Municipal Bake Ovens 352
XV
Page
Mexican War Veterans 354
"Mexicon John" 355
Opening L. V. R. R 358
Old Buildings 367
Presbyterian Grove Services 353
Potato Sales 354
Piggery 360
Sulphur Matches 352
Schneller Letter 356
Steel Pens 361
Sundry Quotations 365
Tuyeres 359
The Corpse 364
The Last Day of School 362
Water Fight 358
Whip in School 361
CHAPTER XII.— BOROUGH OFFICIALS.
Page
Program and Views ; 369
Oflftcers of the Old Home Week Association 371
Program 372-373
Views 375-408
HISTORY OF CATASAUQUA.
CHAPTER I.-CATASAUQUA.
The Iron Borough, as it is frequently termed, was originally known as
Biery's Port. It is situated on a portion of a 10,000 acre tract of land devised
by the Proprietary of Pennsylvania, Sir William Penn, to his daughter Letitia,
who with her husband, Williarii Aubrey, of London, England, granted and con-
veyed the same to John Page, in 1731. A few months later. Page secured a
warrant dated at London, Oct. 10, 1731, to take up 2,723 acres of his grant
which was surveyed and set apart for him by Nicholas Scull, on Oct. 10, 1736.
The patent reads as follows, "And we do further by these presents and by
virtue of the power and authorities granted by the Royal Charter to our Father
William Penn, Esq., by his majesty, Charles the Second, erect said tract into a
manor and to call it ' Chawton ' and so from henceforth we will have it called, and
reposing trust and confidence in the prudence and ability and integrity of the
said Page and his loyalty to our sovereign. Lord George the Second, do give and
grant unto the said John Page, his heirs and assigns, full power and authority
to erect and constitute with the said manor a Court Baron with all things what-
soever which to a Court Baron do belong, and to have and to hold view of Frank
Pledges, for the consideration of the peace and better government of the inhabi-
tants within the said Manor by the said John Page, his heirs and assigns, or his
or their stewards lawfully deputed and generally to do and to use all things which
to the view of Prank Pledges do belong, or may or ought to belong : To be holden
of us, our successors, proprietors of Pennsylvania, as of the signory of 'Windsor'
in free and common socage by fealty or in lieu of all other services, yielding and
i- THE HISTORY
paying therefor yearly unto us, ourselves and successors, one red rose on the 24th
day of June in every year from hereafter in the City of Philadelphia to such
person or persons as shall from time to time be appointed to receive the same. ' '
This instrument calls the Manor "Chawton. " There are deeds on record
in the office at Baston showing that the word has also been written "Charotin. "
Local antiquarians seem to agree that "Charotin" is the result of a faulty
scrivener, who either misspelled the word or wrote so poorly that the "w" of
Chawton looked like the "ro" of Charotin.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the early settlers of this tract were : Thomas Armstrong, Robert Gib-
son, Robert Clendennin, Joseph Wright, John Elliott, Andrew Mann, George and
Nathaniel Taylor, all Irish names, showing that the town is situated within the
bounds of the original Irish settlement which extended from Siegfried 's to Koeh-
ler's locks, along the Lehigh, and eastward, along irregular lines, to the vicinage
of Bath.
The advent of the Pennsylvania German however soon brought about many
changes. While his Irish neighbors were discussing the possibilities of impend-
ing wars, he was content to toil and dig. This enabled him soon to offer prices
for the land about him. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, not a single
Irish land-owner was left along the river, nor within two or three miles of it.
The Irish having sold out, moved westward. Some settled in Central Penn-
sylvania while others found locations in the neighboring state of Ohio. Here land
was much cheaper.
THE POUR FAMILIES.
The Irish, having sold out, moved westward. Some settled in Central Penn-
should be mentioned.
Frederick and Henry Biery bought the old stone mill located where the Cata-
sauqua Mills now stand, and the former built several of the stone structures still
remaining on Race Street. Henry sold out to his brother and moved to New
York.
John Peter, a weaver by trade, moved from Heidelberg in 1823 and located
OP CATASAUQUA 3
at Front and Bridge Streets, on a small farm which he bought from Andrew
Hower, and into a house built by John Zoundt.
The Faust family, whose first representative here was John Philip Faust,
lived at the old homestead now in possession of the Bryden Horse Shoe Company.
The foundation walls of the once stately mansion may still be traced in the yards
of the Horse Shoe Works.
Henry Breisch, a stone mason, occupied a small farm of ten acres of land in
the vicinity of Third and Bridge Streets.
Bast of the Biery farm, and beyond the Catasauqua creek, lay the farm ac-
quired by John George Kurtz during 1760. Much of this is now occupied by the
Third Ward of Catasauqua.
To the north of the Kurtz farm lay a farm of 245 acres, purchased from the
estate of Peter Beisel by George Breinig, on April 4, 1831.
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
Four public highways lay within the confines here described.
One extended from the north via the Hokendauqua dam, along the banks of
the Lehigh as far south as Chapel Street, thence eastward crossing Front Street on
Chapel, and running along in a direction toward the chapel of the First Presby-
terian Church, Third and Bridge Streets, and the Howertown Road, near Peach
Street.
Another road extended from the lower or Race Street bridge, called Biery 's
bridge, in an easterly direction. This is still the old Bethlehem road.
The Howertown Road forked from the Bethlehem Road at a point near
Biery 's bridge and ran almost due north along a course still marking this popular
thoroughfare.
The fourth road was a short connecting link from the mill race across the
county bridge at the Davies and Thomas foundry.
CHANGE OP NAME.
After the organization of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company, Jan. 10, 1839, the
town was called "Craneville" in honor of George Crane of Wales, who was the
owner of the iron works where David Thomas had been employed before coming
to America.
4 THE HISTORY
Til New Jersey, however, twenty miles from New York City, was a "Crane-
vilie ' ' to which much mail matter, intended for this Craneville, went. This caus-
ed constant annoyance.
Another change of name was agitated. According to the fertile mind of
some ripe scholar, the thought of "Iron City" was to be expressed in euphon-
ious Greek, and the town called ' ' Sideropolis. ' '
Application had actually been made to the Postmaster- General in 1845, to
have the post-office name changed from Craneville to Sideropolis; but for some
unexplained reason the change was never made.
Owen Rice, chief clerk at the Crane Iron Works, wrote deeds for many peo-
ple in and about town. Through these services, he learned from drafts made as
early as 1735, and from later drawings, that the creek flowing along the eastern
and southern limits of the town was called " Cattosoque. " In the dialect of
the Lenni-Lenape tribe of the Indians who first inhabited this section of country,
it was named " Gattoshoci, " which is said to mean wants rain. Others defined
the term as signifying dry or burnt ground, and, as sinking waters. The word
Lecha (Lehigh) is of similar origin.
INCORPORATION.
The suggestion by Mr. Rice, that the town be named Catasauqua, was gener-
ally adopted, and application was made to the court of Quarter Sessions of the
County of Lehigh, April 3, 1851, for incorporation into a Borough.
The decree of the court was rendered' Feb. 1, 1853, and provided:
That the village of Catasauqua and the territory in and around the same as
comprised within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at a point in the
River Lehigh at low water mark, thence through land of Paul Faust, on the line
dividing the said county of Lehigh from the county of Northampton, to the pub-
lic road leading from Bridge to Howertown, thence down the said road in the mid-
dle thereof, to a stone corner between lands of George Breinig and Henry Kurtz,
thence on the line^ between the said lands of the said Breinig and Kurtz to Catasau-
qua creek, thence down said creek the several courses and distances thereof to its
junction with the River Lehigh, thence up the said River Lehigh, the several
courses and distances thereof at low water mark to the place of beginning, be and
OF CATASAUQUA O
the same is hereby declared a body corporate in law, under and subject to the pro-
visions, requirements and enactments of the Act of Assembly, entitled 'An Act reg-
ulating boroughs,' approved April 3, 1851, to be known and designated in law
and otherwise as the borough of Catasaufiua, and shall constitute a separate Elec-
tion and School District, subject to all the laws now in force regulating such dis-
tricts. The election for borough ofBeers is hereby directed to be held on the third
Friday of March annually, at the public house now in the ocupancy of Charles
Nolf, until removed therefrom according to law."
The maiden election of officials for the new corporation resulted as follows :
Chief Burgess — David Thomas.
Town Council — Jesse Knauss, William Biery, Joshua Hunt, Jr., Joseph Dau-
bach, John Clark.
Street Commissioners — Morgan Emanuel, Jonas Biery.
High Constable — Charles Sigley.
Auditor — John Williams.
Judge — Isaac E. Chandler.
Inspectors — David G. Jones, Augustus H. Gilbert.
Assessor — Levi Haas.
School Directors — James Ginder, Owen Rice, Charles Nolf, Charles G.
Schneller, George W. Klotz, James Wilson.
Justice of the Peace — John Hudders.
Constable — Joseph Lazarus.
STREETS.
The opening and grading of streets began at the lower end of the town, on
land owned by Frederick Biery. Front Street was laid out by the Court of Quar-
ter Sesions during 1841. For a long while it was called "Cinder Street" since
it was graded with furnace slag. The work was done in 1853 under the direction
of Elias Mertz, surveyor.
During 1848, Second Street, as far as Church Street, was laid out by the
court. After the incorporation of the Borough, Town Council opened one street
after another until seven numbered streets and Howertown Avenue afforded pas-
sage north and south, and ten named streets cross the former at variant angles.
6 THE HISTORY
The break in the course of certain streets, e. g., Second at Church Street and
Bridge at Third, was caused by the location of a building prior to the laying out
of the street.
WARDS.
To facilitate municipal elections and in order to secure equitable representa-
tion for each section of the borough in Town Council and the School Board, forty-
nine citizens petitioned the Court, April 11, 1876, for a division of the Borough
into two wards. The Court appointed Eli J. Sieger, J. P. Newhard and W. B.
Powell as commissioners to examine the territory and report to the Court.
Their recommendation to divide the Borough into two wards (First Ward
and Second Ward), with Church Street as the boundary line between them, was
confirmed by the Court, January 19, 1877.
EXTENSION.
Application to extend the Borough limits on the east was made in 1909. The
object of the petition was to annex East Catasauqua, a territory comprising about
435 acres. The decree of annexation was handed down October 3, 1909, and East
Catasauqua was constituted the Third Ward. The commissioners were William
Weisley, John R. Tait and James T. Davies.
The Second Ward was divided into two parts (Second Ward and Fourth
Ward) with Third Street as the dividing line. The Fourth Ward comprises the
eastern or Howertown Avenue section. The commissioners were H. W. Hankee,
Harvey H. Knerr and Samuel Heilman.
Benedict Mark, William Wilkinson, Elvina N. Fehr and John W. Koch, be-
ing a majority of freeholders adjacent to and along the north and the east boun-
dary lines of the Borough and in the same county, petitioned the Court of Lehigh
to be annexed to Catasauqua. The case was laid before the Grand Jury sitting
for the Quarter Session of June Term, 1895. The Grand Jury having reported
favorably to the petition, the Court decreed, July 2, 1895, that the properties
named and their contiguous lots be incorporated in the Borough of Catasauqua.
BOUNDARY ADJUSTED.
The northern limits of Catasauqua were fixed to coincide with the boundary
between Hanover and Allen townships. This boundary, however, was in dispute
for many years so that certain tax-payers and voters were in doubt as to where
OP CATASAUQUA 7
they lived. A report by commissioners appointed by the Court of Quarter Ses-
sions of Lehigh County, was set aside January 6, 1889. At a later date commis-
sioners were appointed by joint action of the Lehigh and the Northampton Coun-
ty Courts (Allen Township being in the latter County). The gentlemen were
Major Samuel D. Lehr of Allentown, Birge Pearson of Easton and Thomas S.
MeNair, of Hazleton.
They located a point on the east bank of the Lehigh River, twenty perches
south of Faust's Ferry, and a spot in the Monocacy creek, where it crosses the
road leading from Hanoverville to Bath, Pa., and drew a straight line between
the two points. This now also constitutes the boundary between the boroughs of
Catasauqua and North Catasauqua.
"It cuts diagonally through Mr. Faust's property at Catfsauqua and cuts otf
a small corner of the Bryden Horse Shoe Works property ; thence it passes north
of Theodore Bachman's house and touches the bay-window of Daniel Milson's
house (now the home of James M. Lennon) ; it crosses Adam Rau's premises so as
to cut it into two equal triangles ; and it also cuts off a foot and a half of a corner
of the stand pipe."
BRIDGES.
"Western approaches to the town were made by ferry qr the bridge. A ferry
line was run across the Lehigh River for many years, at a short disiance below the
present Hokendauqua dam. This was known as Faust's ferry, and the last traces
of its existence disappeared during the last decade of the past century.
At Biery 's Port, now Race Street, a company was formed and a chain bridge
was built according to an act of Assembly of the State Legislature, passed March
5, 1824. Stocks were sold at twenty-five dollars per share. At a stockholders'
meeting, held July 24, 1824, the following officers were elected :
President — Owen Rice of Bethlehem.
Managers — Frederick Biery, Philip Faust, Charles D. Bishop and George
Helfridge.
Treasurer — Joseph Biery.
Secretary — On the 26th of July, Jacob Blumer was appointed.
The west bank of the river was known as "Pennsylvania Shore;" and the
east bank, the ' ' Jersey Shore. ' '
8 THE HISTORY
In consideration of a cash payment of ten dollars ($10), and free passage
across the bridge for himself and wife during their natural lives, Peter Miller
granted sufficient land to form a proper approach to the bridge on the "Pennsyl-
vania Shore." Frederick Biery did the same on the "Jersey Shore" in consid-
eration of free passage for himself, his family and his employees for a term of
twenty years. The bridge was suspended on two chains and afforded a clear pas-
sage way of thirteen feet.
Toll rates were fixed as follows :
A four-horse pleasure conveyance, twenty-five cents.
A two-horse conveyance, eighteen and three-fourths cents.
A two-horse wagon load, twenty-five cents.
A single horse and rider, six and one-fourth cents.
A horse or mule, four cents.
Horned cattle per head, two cents.
Foot passers, one cent.
Annual rates ranged from one to over four dollars per year. Special rates
were charged for extra heavy loads. The Crane company paid as high as three
dollars for a single team. The weight limit was fixed at fifteen thousand pounds.
This bridge was swept away by the freshet of 1841 ; but a new chain bridge
was built immediately. When business had multiplied and traffic increased dur-
ing the early fifties, the swinging chain bridge was regarded too frail for the bur-
dens that were imposed upon it.
According to an act of Assembly, a new company, known as the Lehigh Coun-
ty Bridge Company at Biery 's Mills, was formed, July 26, 1852. The new bridge
was a covered, wooden construction supported by massive arches resting on a
heavy stone pillar in the river and firm abutments on either bank. The total cost
of this bridge was $14,954.
After the flood of 1862 had wrecked this bridge, it was re-constructed and
strengthened at a cost of five thousand one hundred and sixty-one dollars. Divi-
dends ran up to twelve per cent, per annum.
In 1892, the County bought the bridge, tore it down and replaced it with an
iron structure. The cost of nineteen thousand dollars was shared with the
OP CATASAUQUA 9
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and the Rapid Transit Company, so that the
former paid eight thousand dollars, the latter five hundred dollars and the County
ten thousand five hundred dollars.
THE CRANE COMPANY BRIDGE.
The ore used in the furnaces was hauled by team from Whitehall and South
Whitehall townships. With the increase of the furnace capacity came the multi-
plication of ore teams and consequently an enlarged toll bill by the bridge com-
pany. The haul via Biery's bridge also meant a hard mile to traverse, especially
during certain seasons of the year.
The Crane Iron Company resolved, about 1845, to build a bridge of their own
immediately above their furnaces. The statute laws of Pennsylvania, however,
forbade the erection of a bridge so near an existing bridge.
To circumvent this statute, the Iron Company purchased land on both sides
of the river and thus were in a position to construct a private bridge. The public
was granted free use of this bridge until the Crane Iron Company acquired a ma-
jority of the stock of the Biery's bridge, when, according to statute privilege of
the State, toll was collected.
During 1857, the bridge was reinforced and strengthened in order to carry
locomotive ("The Hercules") and ore-cars brought in over the newly-constructed
Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad. After destruction by the flood of 1862, a
wooden arch bridge, similar to the Biery 's bridge, was built. During the nineties
the company discontinued asking toll ; and, when the railroads began to construct
the large "gondola" cars, it was found that the bridge was incapable of bearing
their weight and also afforded too narrow a space for their passage. Orders for
coke and other materials included the stipulation that the larger type of cars must
not be used for these shipments.
During 1904, the company removed the old wooden structure and erected a
modern railroad bridge, capable of supporting the weightiest and most massive
rolling stock in use. Thus the community was limited to the us? of the Race
Street bridge or the Hokendauqua bridge for passage across the river, much to
the discomfort and inconvenience of the traveling public.
10 THE HISTORY
Public-spirited citizens now started a movement looking toward an over-head
bridge at the foot of Pine Street. The late, lamented Mr. T. F. Frederick should
receive special recognition in this connection on account of his indefatigable la-
bors with Borough Councils, County Commissioners, the railroads, and the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation Company, as well as the President Judge of the Courts of
Lehigh, until the bridge became a reality. It was formally opened on Memorial
Day, 1908.
EAILKOADS.
The traveling and transportation facilities of Catasauqua have always been
superb. Although it may never become a seaport, the Iron Borough now is and
bids fair to greater developments as a railroad centre of no mean proportions.
Six distinct lines form its arteries of commerce and its avenues of trade.
In the fall of 1855, rails were laid on the bed of the Lehigh Valley Railroad
as far as Catasauqua. A locomotive, the "General Wall," borrowed from the
Central R. R. of N. J., with one car attached, conveyed coal barons, iron magnates,
landlords and financial monarchs as far as the Crane bridge. An impromptu
parade was formed and the march made across the bridge to the Eagle Hotel.
After a dinner at the Eagle, the party proceeded to Hokendauqua to view the fur-
naces just erected. A nonagenarian of Easton, Mr. Thomas McKean, a recruit-
ing army officer, accompanied the party.
Ore for the furnaces was hauled by heavy teams from various mines
throughout the County. A line of teams nearly a mile in length was a custom-
ary sight. During rainy seasons, the ' ' ore roads ' ' became well nigh impassable.
In order to reduce expenses and cease damaging the public roads, the Crane Com-
pany, assisted by the Thomas Iron Company of Hokendauqua, sought a charter
from the State for a railroad from Catasauqua to Fogelsville, and to the Red
Lion Hotel near Mertztown.
The application for this charter was presented to the Legislature by Mr.
James W. Fuller, Sr. His efforts met with intense opposition. Indignation meet-
ings were called and the efforts of the ' ' Black Republicans ' ' bitterly denounced.
It was claimed that a railroad would cut up and destroy the beautiful farming
districts of the Jordan Valley, and be a source of terror to beasts and danger to
man.
OF CATASAUQUA 11
By perseverance and tact, Mr. Fuller succeeded at last in securing a charter
for the construction of a plank road on the common highway of the ore-teams. A
short distance of the plank road was huilt. Soon planks were forced out of place
by the weight of the loads hauled, others broke and splintered until the road be-
came very dangerous and, especially for pleasure carriages, nigh impassable.
After prolonged efforts, the railroad charter was secured, and the construc-
tion of the ' ' Catasauqua and Pogelsville R. E. " begun in the spring of 1856. The
formal opening of the road as far as Rupp 's station followed during the summer
of 1857. The extension of the road to the mountain at Rittenhouse Gap, the field
of magnetic ore-mines, was completed later.
The Iron Bridge on the Catasauqua and Fogelsville R. R. has an extreme
length of 1,165 feet. The iron superstructure is 1,100 feet in length, consisting
of eleven spans of 100 feet each, with a height of 104 feet above the bed of the
Jordan creek. This was doubtless one of the longest bridges in the country at
that time. The first locomotive crossed the bridge July 14, 1857.
The Philadelphia and Reading R. R. Company secured 60 per cent, of the
stock of the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad and thus the latter passed into
the control of the former and is operated as an important feeder of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad, whence it draws large trade for the Reading System, meeting
its East Penn branch at Alburtis, Pa.
With the multiplication of manufacturing establishments throughout the
Lower Lehigh and Delaware Valleys, and especially, the metropolis of the Empire
State, came the demand for enlarged coal transportation facilities. The Lehigh
canal was no longer equal to the task.
The stockholders of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company resolved to
petition the Legislature for a charter for the construction of a railroad from the
rich coal fields of the Wyoming Valley to the junction of the Delaware and Lehigh
Rivers. The new road relieved the congested traffic of the canal, and also offer-
ed transportation facilities during the winter months. It w£s called The Lehigh
and Susquehanna Railroad; and, after being leased by the Central Railroad of
New Jersey for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, it was styled The Lehigh and
Susquehanna division of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The road was open-
ed for traffic in 1868.
12 THE HISTORY
In order to facilitate the development of the brown-hematite properties along
its line, the Thomas Iron Company per contract with Mr. Tinsley Jeter and his
associates, built the Ironton Railroad from Hokendauqua and Coplay to Ironton
and to certain limestone quarries and ore beds along the base of the Kittatinny
Mountains. This road was chartered March 4, 1859. The grading of the road-
bed was commenced at Ironton August 2, 1859. In spite of a severe winter, the
road was thoroughly ballasted by spring ; and the first train of loaded cars passed
over it on May 24, 1860. The entire capital stock of the Ironton Railroad was
bought by the Thomas Iron Company, February 1, 1882 ; since that time it has
continued to operate the road. There is probably no railroad in this country
that, considering its mileage, handles so large a tonnage of shipments as the iron-
ton. Besides carrying ore, limestone, coal and other traffic, it taps the heart of
the cement body. Ten cement mills are located along its lines.
Passenger service was established November 1, 1898. It connects with the
Lehigh Valley Railroad at Hokendauqua, Pa. It exchanges shipments with other
roads at Coplay and Catasauqua, the latter place being its junction point with
the Reading Railroad, the Lehigh Valley Railroad, the Central Railroad of New
Jersey, the Crane Railroad, and the Lehigh and New England Railroad.
In order to facilitate shipping, to extend certain tracks, and incidentally save
a very large outlay of cash for transfer and shifting of cars by and from other
roads, the authorities of the Crane Company applied for a charter for The Crane
Railroad Company, July 28, 1905. The coveted charter having been granted, the
Crane Railroad tracks were extended eastward via a subway into the Kurtz Val-
ley, where it connects with the new tracks of the Lehigh and New England Rail-
road.
The tracks have also been extended northward along the course of the canal
until they connect with the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Its total mileage is
3.31 miles.
During the summer of nineteen hundred thirteen another important branch
of the great railway system of the country found growth in the direction of the
"Iron Borough." The Lehigh and New England Railroad Company extended
its lines westward from Bath, Pa. When they reached Catasauqua they shrewdly
OF CATASAUQUA 13
found the Crane tunnel built as an outlet for the "Crane Railroad" to a rauch-
ueeded cinder dump, and thus gained an entrance to Front and Wood Streets, a
most desirable location for a terminus.
This spur opens a short and direct route into New York and the New Eng-
land States, and is bound to demand a large trade. It was formally opened 0!i
Monday, March 23, 1914, when officials of the Crane Company, and the Lehigh
and New England Railroad Company entered town in a special train.
THE CANAL.
Legislation affecting navigation on the Lehigh River was begun as early as
1771 and continued until about 1820, but conditions in the river proved unfavor-
able to such a prospect. A Lehigh Navigation Company was incorporated in
March, 1818, and the Lehigh Coal Company was chartered in October of the same
year. During 1820 the two companies were consolidated into the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company.
Steps were taken toward the construction of a canal from Easton to White
Haven. The canal was completed from Easton to Mauch Chunk by the summer
of 1828. The Commissioners of Inspection reported favorably to the Governor of
Pennsylvania, July 3, 1829. The men most prominently identified with this im-
portant undertaking were Josiah White, Erskine Hazard and a Mr. Hauto.
On account of the heavy grade in the course of the river, Catasauriua had
to be well locked, one being placed at the Hokendautjua dam, north of town; an-
other at the Crane furnaces in the centre of town; and the third at Koehler's,
about a mile south of the Crane lock. The dimensions of the Crane lock are 22
feet in width by 95 feet in length, with a drop of 8 feet.
Originally grain and coal were floated down the Lehigh to the Delaware
River, and thence to Philadelphia, on flat-bottom boats called ' ' Arks. ' ' At their
destination the "Arks" had to be sold, as well as their cargo, since they could not
be floated against the rapid current of the river.
The first excursion to Biery's Port was run on the canal from Allentown on
Friday, June 26, 1829, and an "Ark" bore the merry crowd. The canal affords
not only boating, especially coal shipping facilities, but also water power for many
industries along its course.
14 THE HISTORY
Hot blast for the initial furnaces of the Crane Company was blown from
two cylinders driven by water power from the Canal. "Whilst it became neces-
sary to erect blast engines to run the enlarged plant, the old water power system
as a motive force at the furnace is still in operation.
Working the mines for twenty years rewarded the Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
tion Company with a greatly enlarged output. Their shipments (via canal) dur-
ing 1821 amounted to about 1,000 tons. The reports of 1837 show the tonnage to
have been 224,000 tons. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, therefore,
sought every possible opportunity to encourage the establishment of industries
along its water course. In 1838 they offered water privileges extending from Hok-
endauqua to Allentown to any person who would invest $30,000 in the erection of
a furnace and run it successfully for three months by the exclusive use of anthra-
cite coal.
Prom 1845 to 1865 two boat yards were maintained for building and repair-
ing purposes. Bogh Brothers were located on the site of the present Fire Brick
Works. Ginder and Eehrig conducted their business at a place opposite the Cata-
sauqua Hotel.
MAIL SERVICE.
The rural free delivery of mail matter is not as modern a system of distribu-
tion as some choose to consider it. For many years a stage line was run from
Allentown to Mauch Chunk and by this medium mail matter was delivered at cer-
tain central points along the route. A coach line carrying mail via Catasauqua
was also maintained between Bethlehem and Cherryville. Deliveries were made
three times weekly.
A post ofSee was established at Biery's Port in 1844 and placed in charge
of Samuel Colver. A symposium of the recollections of various local authorities
drive to the conclusion that the post office was domiciled in various quarters along
Front Street. It is said that upon the appointment of Nathan Fegley as post-
master, 1846, the office was located at Front and Bridge Streets.
Another authority informs us that at certain times it was located in the
third house above Union on Front Street ; that it was then moved to a small house
next door above the "Catasauqua House;" then to Church Street near Front,
OP CATASAUQUA
15
where Mrs. S. E. Creveling was postmistress; next to Front Slrcct into a buildipg
nearly midway l)etweeii Church and Bi'idge .Streets, where Capt. W. II. Bartholo-
mew was ]>ostmaster. During 188!) it was moved into tlie Hwartz building, farther
up in the block.
After the erection of oni' lieautiful three-
story iH)st oftice building on the corner of Bridge
and Railroad Streets, liy capitalists identified
with the National Bank of C'atasaucpui, and at a
cost of it52r),UOU. the weary wanderings of the post
office ceased. In 1907 it was moved into its new
and comfortable quarters.
Since the clo-e of 1909, the department has
maintained the carrier system. Three daily de-
liveries are made throughout the l)nsiness portion
of the town and two in the residential sections.
Four collections are made fron; thirty-hve boxes
located in various parts of the town. ■ p^st office.
The force comprises a postmaster and an assistant; three clerks, auxiliai-y
clerk and a special delivery messenger; four carriers, a sub-carrier and a mail
uiessenger. A recent statement indicates the volume of businrss done at this
office.
Daily mail handled :
Outgoing (pieces) 2800
Incoming (pieces) ... .4600
Registered mail during 1913 :
Outgoing (pieces) 2247
Incoming (pieces) 2233
Stamped paper sold during 1913 $13,340
Domestic orders paid during 1913 $21,9r)0
Domestic orders issued during 1913 $34,048
International orders paid during 1913 $ 1,318
International orders issued during 1913 .$ 3,426
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16 THE HISTORY
The postmasters and their tenure of office are the following :
Samuel Colver, 1844-46 Isabella D. Duff, 1865-71
Nathan Fegley, 1846-50 Adaline Creveling, 1871-77
Joseph Laubach, 1850-53 Wm. H. Bartholomew, 1877-89
Nathan Frederick, 1853-54 Edmund Randall, 1889-94
Augustus H. Gilbert, 1854-55 Jonas F. Moyer, 1894-98
Solomon Biery, 1855-61 Henry Davis, 1898-1900
Arnold C. Lewis, March-Nov., 1861 Charles Graffin, 1900-08
Frank B. Martin, 1861-62 Samuel S. Graffin, 1908-
Charles D. Fuller, 1862-65
EXPRESSAGE AND TELEGRAPHY.
Express accommodations have been quite satisfactory ever since the adveiit
of the railroads. David Kline, a painter by trade, is said to have been the first
station master and freight agent at the Lehigh Valley depot. He hauled many
shipments across the bridge on a wheelbarrow.
During the sixties a certain Mr. Giering had charge of the "Central Ex-
press ' ' office. John Black succeeded him and moved the office into his drug store
next door below the Catasauqua House. Allen T. Reber followed Mr. Black and
conducted the business in an office in the rear of the Ea^le Hotel.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company maintained an office on
Front Street near Bridge, which was in charge of William Craig for a season. Mr.
George Fuller succeeded Mr. Craig. The Philadelphia and Reading Express
Company delivered over the Catasau(|ua and Fogelsville and the Central Railroad
of New Jersey.
During the eighties the United States Express Company supplanted the
Philadelphia and Reading Express Company at Catasauqua and transferred the
office to the depot of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Of the agents we note
Messrs. Jason C. Miller and J. P. Hartman.
On March 15, 1878, the long and sucessful career of Mr. S. B. Harte as ex-
press agent at Catasauqua began. He was first employed by the Central Express
Company. When the Central and the Adams Companies combined under the
title of the Adams Express Company, Mr. Harte was continued in charge.
OP CATASAUQUA 17
February 1, 1892, the Adams Express Company withdrew from the Lehigh
Valley Railroad and the United States Express Company succeeded. The office
at the Central Railroad of New Jersey depot was discontinued and all the busi-
ness was transferred to Front Street, opposite the Eagle Hotel, and Mr. Harte
was in full charge of all the Express business of town.
Mr. S. B. Harte resigned his position February 14, 1914, after a continuous
service of 36 years. His son, Henry S. Harte, succeeded him, and proves himself
a competent and pleasing incumbent.
During December of 1912 the Adams Express Company established an office
on Bridge Street as a sub-station of their AUentown office. N. P. Hanson served
as agent for three months. Charles Solt followed him and after a brief tenure
was succeeded by A. T. Henderson, the present agent.
Miss Maggie Duff, daughter of Isabella D. Duff, the post-mistress from
1865-71, served as telegraph operator in an office connected with the post office.
Maggie is still sounding the keys in a Philadelphia office.
If the names of all the telegraph operators who clicked the keys for
Catasauqua's hurry-up calls were collected, they would form quite a roll. Rec-
ords show that Peter J. Eberhard rendered a lengthy service.
When the Western Union Telegraph Company had established an office
here, Mr. S. B. Harte was employed as operator. May 15, 1876, which was two
years before he took up the express agency. Thus Mr. Harte was telegraph
operator for the Borough for thirty-eight years. During Mr. Harte 's tenure, he
taught and sent out, practically all over the United States, more than fifty grad-
uate operators.
In May, 1913, the Western Union telegraph office was moved to the depot of
the Central Railroad of New Jersey and placed in charge of the agent, Preston H.
Ackey.
STREET CARS.
There is probably no town in the whole Lehigh Valley so favorably situated
for traveling facilities as Catasauqua. Workmen living in the remotest section
of the Borough can reach trains or cars for destinations in all directions within
less time than a twenty-minutes' walk.
18 THE HISTOEY
Catasauqua is almost centrally located between the great cement mills to
the north and the mammoth iron works to the south of her ; and although she has
a fair proportion of mills and works of various descriptions within her own
limits, she rests beyond the reach of blighting cement clouds and blackening
soft coal works.
"When the opportunity came, the Borough Council promptly passed an
ordinance, dated May 11, 1891, giving permission to the AUentown Passenger
Railway Company to operate its railway within the limits of the Borough of
Catasauqua, by electricity, and for that purpose to erect its poles, string its wires,
etc.
The ordinance stipulates that on improved streets the Company shall pave
between the rails and two feet on the outer sides of the rails of their tracks
in a manner as is directed by the Street Committee.
It also restricts the Company to use the railway tracks within the Borough
limits for no other purpose than to carry passengers. On account of the inability
of the old wooden bridge to carry the weight of tracks and trolley cars, the line
was built from AUentown via Second, Chapel and Front Streets at FuUerton, to
the west end of the bridge.
So as to maintain charter-rights, tracks were laid from the canal bridge on
Race Street to the Horse Shoe works on Front Street, and a little bounding horse
car of the most ancient type constituted the equipment.
When the iron bridge was completed, during 1893, the trolley cars ran
through the town via Race and Front, Arch and Third Streets on a line dividing
at the Hokendauqua bridge. One arm reaches out into Siegfried, Pa., and the
other to Egypt, Pa. Forty cars on their regular schedule run through the Bor-
ough to Siegfried, and thirty-nine to Egypt. Besides these an extra service 6f
seven cars daily between AUentown and Catasauqua during rush hours is main-
tained.
Thd (AUentown Passenger Railway Company metamorphosed into the
AUentown and Lehigh Valley Traction Company, and, after another lapse of
time, into the Lehigh Valley Transit Company. The trackage of the complete
system is 154 miles.
OF CATASAUQUA 19
On the 22nd day of December, 1903, the Borough Council passed an ordi-
nance granting permission to the Hanover Central Electric Railway Company
to lay and operate a double track trolley system, south on Howertown Avenue
to Walnut, thence east on Walnut to American, south on American Street to
Kurtz 's Lane and east on Kurtz 's Lane, now Wood Street, to the Borough limits.
The Hanover Electric was supposed to run via Schoenersville to Bethlehem — but
there was no "Juice. ' '
"WATER.
The first water works consisted of a well sunk by the Crane Company oppo-
site the furnaces on Front Street, and a "Municipal pump," whence the whole
community drew water. The pump was made of a log-bored stock, octagonal in
shape, and about fourteen inches in diameter, and a leather valve suction bucket,
worked by an iron rod and a long iron handle balanced with a knob on the end.
Around the old pump many an impromptu colloquy occurred by the chance
meeting of friends and foes, men and maidens, the bearers of life's burdens and
the carefree lovers of youth.
The Lehigh Crane Iron Company more than fulfilled the conditions laid
down in the proffers of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and thus the
water rights from the Hokendauqua to the AUentown dams were ceded to the
former.
In those days the crystal purity of the Lehigh River was not contaminated by
sewer systems of various descriptions and, therefore, a pump was attached to the
water wheel that drove the hot-blast for the furnaces, in order to draw water
from the river for the town's use.
David Thomas directed his son Samuel, who was then a student at Nazareth
Hall, to stop off at Bethlehem and take measurements of the pump used there in
order that he might have a model and some data to go by in the erection of
Catasauqua's first water works. The gentleman who generously supplied Mr.
Thomas with desired data was Richard W. Leibert, who still resides in Bethlehem.
The work of construction was begun before the charter grant was completed.
A four-inch main was laid from the pump to Wood Street, to Second, up Second
20 THE HISTORY
to Church, and up Church Street to a point above Limestone Street, where a
basin or reservoir was built. Water seeping through the walls of the basin
softened the underlying strata of limestone and caused a number of caverns
which were dangerous. A large wooden tank was built beside the basin to serve
its purpose.
During 1854, a four-inch main was laid on Front Street to Bridge. During
1856, a three-inch main was attached at Front and Bridge Streets, and con-
tinued up Bridge and Second Streets to the new residence of David Thomas,
located at Second and Pine Streets. The main on Front Street was extended
to "Puddler's Row," above Chapel Street.
During 1872, the Company expended over $25,000 on extensive improve-
ments. On some streets larger, and on others, new mains were laid.
A new pumping station, twenty-three by twenty-five feet in dimensions, was
built below furnace No. 6. It was equipped with a steam pump in addition to
the old water power system. Its capacity was 185,000 gallons per day. To
equalize the pressure on the mains and water pipes, a large stand pipe was erected
in front of the pumping station.
Toward the close of the nineteenth century, the Clear Springs Water Com-
pany was chartered and secured water rights on both sides of the river from
Cementon to Allentown. The Crane Company, through its receiver, returned
the water rights in its name to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, who,
in turn, ceded the rights of the Catasauqua Water Works to the Clear Springs
Water Company.
Under date of August 28, 1903, an agreement was entered iiito by the Clear
Springs Water Company and the Borough of Catasauqua, that the former supply
the town according to the following schedule of net rates :
One family, first spigot $ 6.00
Bath tub $ 3.00
Wash stand, first $ 3.00
Closet, first $ 3.00
Pave wash, each $ 1.50
OF CATASAUQUA 21
Stationary wash tub, first $ 1.50
Steam or water heater $ 1.50
Hotel $50.00 to $100.00
Hydrants on streets $ 12.00
Beer pumps $ 15.00
Fountains $ 7.50
A discount of twenty-five per cent, was allowed on all bills that were paid
within twenty days from the first day of the month on which they were issued.
The above contract terminated December 31, 1907.
Although the Clear Springs Water Company did all they could to furnish
water desired by the consumer, there was constant complaint against the condition
of the water furnished; and when the rates to consumers were announced in
January, 1908, many discontinued the use of the water.
The Fire and Water Committee was directed to inquire into conditions and
ascertain the approximate cost of a municipal water plant.
They inspected various plants, and invited engineers of experience to view
the location selected for wells by a geologist sent by the State Board of Health.
A citizens' meeting was called in the Towti Hall, Thursday, July 23, 1908,
when it was proposed to ask the tax payers to agree to a loan of $80,000, to sink
wells and proceed with the erection of a municipal plant. The Council resolved
unanimously to submit the matter to the tax-payers at the November election.
There were 776 votes in favor of a municipal plant, and 74 opposed to it.
Two wells, ten inches in diameter, were sunk two hundred and forty feet
into the earth at Walnut and St. John Streets, and were secured with a steel
casement almost to their full depth. Both wells were tested by air lifts for seven
successive days and nights and proved to contain an inexhaustible supply. The
State Board certified to the absolute purity of the water.
Drill-engineers were set to their task in March, 1910, and by October the
pumps were in operation. The men who deserve credit for this successful enter-
prise are : Dr. C. J. Keim, Burgess, and his councilmen, Henry W. Stolz, Alfred
J. Leh, Martin Graver, Thomas Jones, William McCandless, and Oscar Shugar.
22
THE HISTORY
PUMPING STATION.
THE PUMPING STATION.
The pumping sta-
tion is a one-story,
fire-proof, hrick build-
ing, large enough to
double the capacity of
its present equipment
whenever needed.
There are two 125
horse power high
pressure tubular boil-
ers, two one million
gallon pumps, and
two air compressors
in operation.
The dimensions of the reservoir and aerator are seventy-two feet in diameter
by fourteen feet, six inches in deptli, and afford a capacity of 364,000 gallons.
It is constructed of steel and concrete, and l)ears a roof of cement tiling, and
screened ventilators ,assiu'ing protection against all impurities.
The Water Tower (stand-pipe) is located on Catasauciua's highest elevation,
a spot near Sixth Street and half a l)lock north of Walnut Street. It is of steel
construction, fifteen feet in diameter and eighty feet high, with a capacity of 125,-
000 gallons.
The system of water mains consists of pipes, ranging from sixteen to six
inches in diameter and totals an extension of seven miles. This system is divided
into sixty-three districts, any and all of whicli may be closed off at will. Thus
only the people of the square in which repaii-s are made need be inconvenienced
for the time being. There are 790 taps from mains to houses and 75 hydrants.
Thirty-five Matthews-type hyilrants with six-inch base connections, two two
and one-half inch nozzles for hose, and one four-inch nozzle for steamer have been
located at prominent street corners.
The average quantity of water pumped per week is 3,500,000 gallons, and
OP CATASAUQUA
23
the average consumption of coal is twenty tons weekly. The total receipts aver-
age $8,500 per annum.
DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
Public spirited citizens attended a meeting in the fall of 1912 for the pur-
pose of considering ways and means for the erection of drinking fountains for
man and beast throughout the town. A committee charged with the matter was
appointed : Captain Joseph Matchette, Chairman, Edmund Randall, H. H. Riegel,
M. D., William Weisley and Chester Prantz. The solicitors appointed by the
committee were : John Moat, George T. Boyer, Frank C. Beck, Alvin A. Houser,
George 0. Houser, Reuben Weaver, and Cooper Weaver.
Four fountains (for man and beast), one for each Ward, and an extra one, on
Front Street, were purchased for $380.00 from the J. L. Mott Iron Works, New
York, through the kind offices of Charles B. Frederick.
The well known plumbing firm of Beck and Frey connected up the fountains
at a cost of $120.00. Mrs. Kate Fuller generously paid for the fountain in the
Fourth Ward.
FIRE PROTECTION.
At the suggestion of David Thomas, a meeting of the villagers was called,
November 4, 1845, for the purpose of organizing a fire company. Thirty-seven
men were in attendance.
Owen Rice
John Kane
Edward Clark
Henry E. Kildare
Isaac Miller
Thomas Dempsey
Alexander Miller
Robert Campbell
Richard Davis
George Jenkins
Arthur McQuade
William Boyle
John Lees
Noah Phillips
Cochrane McLaughlin
Charles Dempsey
WiUiam Neligh
William Pollock
Jacob Smith
Morgan Emanuel
Neil McKeever
Thomas Miller
Wm. McClelland
John Thomas
Samuel Thomas
David Thomas
William J. Aull
John Mclntyre
John Hunter
James Hunter
Alex. McCurdy
James Dempsey
Mark DempSey
Patrick Dempsey
James McAllister
John Clark
William Davis
24
THE HISTORY
They adopted the
name, "The flumane
Fire Company." The
charter of incorpora-
t i n was granted
March 14, 1846. A
hand force pump, at-
tached to a large tank
mounted on four
->■ - "'" ■ " '^ ' ■ _ , " M'heels, was purchas-
ed from a Philadel-
FiRST FIRE ENGINE. phia Firc Company.
The pump was operated by a pair of handles extending over the truck at either
end. To give it full force the strength of twenty men was taxed. Under full
pressure a strong stream could be thrown over the highest building in town. A
bucket brigade from some neighboring well supplied the water in the tank.
The engine was housed in a frame building on Second Street, near Church
Street, now the site of the Crane stables. There was also a hose carriage fully
equipped to conve.v water from the plugs of the new water works to the engine
tank, on streets where mains had been laid.
The destruction, l)y fire, of the machine sliop of the Crane Company, in
186.5, demonstrated the inefficiency of this primitive apparatus. Engine (hand-
pump) and hose carriage were stripped of their brass mountings and taken to
the ominous shades of an ancient tree near the round-house of the Catasauqua
and Fogelsville Eailroad, where their existence wasted like fadeth the aged couple
that watcheth the last glimmer of light slowly dying away beyond the terraced
heights of Fairview cemetery. It is a pity the old guard has not been sheltered
and preserved for proud participation in the pageantry of Old Home Week.
THE PHOENIX PIEE COMPANY.
The Phoenix Steam Fire Company No. 1 was so named after a friendly com-
pany of this name in Easton, Pa., and was organized April 23, 1866, in the old
Temperance Hall on Second Street, where the Crane stables now are.
OP CATASAUQUA 25
Tlie Crane Company had long since hnilt the hrick fire liall on Front Sti'eet,
close by the old pump, for tlie Hnmane ('oin2)any, which had disbanded pT'ior
to the organization of tlie Phoenix.
The first official l)oard consisted of William Williams, president; W. II.
Horn, secretary; l)a\'id Davis treasurer. The chartei' membership consisted of
thirty men.
THE PHOENIX FIRE COMPANY.
From April to Octolier, 1866, one hose carriage was the only apparatus the
company had. This was purchased from a Philadelphia party by Thomas Jones
and William McMonigal. There were also a few hand chemical fire extinguish-
ers. The company was also granted the use of the old pump-engines still stored
in the Fire House.
26 THE HISTORY
A steam engine was purchased from the Button Fire Engine Company,
Waterford, N. Y., and was delivered at Catasauqua, November, 1866. During
the eighties another hose carriage, a gig and hook and ladder truck were pur-
chased.
When the Unicorn Silk Mill was destroyed by fire, the engine was so badly
damaged that it was condemned. At this fire two prominent members of the
Phoenix Company perished: John A. Good and Charles Frick.
A new and larger fire engine was purchased from the Button Fire Engine
Company, November, 1890. This engine is still in use. The present outfit of
the Phoenix Company consists of the engine, two hose carriages, one gig, one
hook and ladder truck and twelve hundred feet of hose.
Prior to the erection of the Town Hall, 1868, the Company was quartered
in the Fire Engine House on Front Street. In the Town Hall the members
enjoy the comforts of a large parlor, and an assembly room containing pool
tables and other devices for entertainment.
The present officials are : President, Robert P. Richter ; Vice-President, Nor-
man Steinhilber; Treasurer, Oliver Griffith; Secretary, Francis H. Sheckler.
The Company had an enrollment of two hundred and one members.
THE SOUTHWARK HOSE COMPANY NO. 9.
The Crane Iron Company purchased from the Southwark Hose Company
No. 9, located at Third and Lombard Streets, Philadelphia, Pa., their steamer
" A. " This was a first class engine with a rotary style pump. The Philadelphia
Company requested that the name Southwark and the No. 9 be continued with
the engine.
The Southwark Hose Company No. 9 was therefore organized February 4,
1873, in Foy's Hall with John Williams as chairman and David T. Williams as
secretary pro tern. All the charter members of the Southwark were employees
of the Crane Iron Company.
The initial officials were : President, Charles W. Chapman ; Vice-President,
Joseph Hunt; Secretary, David T. Williams; Treasurer, Robert E. Williams.
The Southwark Hose Company No. 9 of Philadelphia, Pa., presented its
OP CATASVITQTIA
27
namesake at ('atasaii(|iia with all the hooks, seal, eharter hats ,aii(l helts owned
l)y them. The hooks sliow that the Sonth\vai-k of Philadelphia was organized
May 6, 1806.
Having overhanled the engine, the C'l-ane Company presented it to the South-
wark people, with the i>roviso that the\' he granted the nse of it whenever desired.
The original house
of the eoiiipany was
the Crane pattern
house on Front and
Wood Streets. It not
lieing dcsiralile to .1
continue liousing this
company- in their pat-
tern hcuise. the Crani>
Company huilt the
two-stor\' fire engine ''f
house for the Soutli- .-j
wark Company on tlie .southwark engine house.
corner of Second and Church Streets. The Ijuilding is well equipped for the
comfort and pleasure of its mend)ers. Steam heat is carried to it hy pipes ex-
tending from the furnaces to the hall. In recent years a hose-tower has also heen
erected. The members of the Phoenix Fire Company have heen noble minded aiul
fraternal toward their new neighbors.
The first parade of the Southwark Hose Company No. 9 followed an invita-
tion hy the Phoenix, April 19, 1873; and on Thanksgiving Day of the same year,
the former were ushered from the pattern shop to their new home hy the latter.
Joshua Hunt made the presentation speech for the Crane, and R. Clay Heia-
mersley responded for the Fire Department.
For a niunljer of years the Crane Company aided the Sonthwai'k Hose Com-
pany No. 9 to the amount of ten dollars per mouth, until April If), 1895, ^vlu')l
the latter became a part of the Catasauqua Fire Department.
28
THE HISTORY
The Southwark people purchased from the Silshy Fire Engine Coitipaiiy,
June 6, 1890, the engine still in use.
AVhile in active service at tlie Unicorn Silk Mill fire, April 24, 1S90, John
Graffin was caught under a tottering wall and was so seriously injured, that death
soon followed. The i^resent officials are :
President, John McCandless; Vice-President, Wilson Scott; Secretary, C-. E.
Sheckler, Jr. ; Treasurer, Edwin 0. Oldt.
THE CHAROTIN HOSE CO. NO. I.
The incorporation of North Catasauqua as a borough was effected during
1908. The growing sentiment for adequate fire protection found full expression
at a citizens" meeting held November 15, 1909. Thomas Quinn, Justice of the
Peace, presided.
OF CATASAUQUA 29
"Charotin" is based on a tradition which says that the Indian Chief Char-
otin granted to white settlers the tract of land now comprehended in North Cata-
sauqua. From this tradition springs the name, "The Charotin Hose Company
No. 1."
Burgess Fred W. Hunter and Council prevailed upon the Clear Springs
Water Company to lay additional water mains and install fire hydrants. The
same Council purchased a desirable plot of ground from the Lackawanna Land
Company and began a movement favoring the erection of a municipal building
and Fire Engine House.
By a special ballot of the citizens in July, 1910, it was decreed that the
building should be erected. Building operations began in April ; and by October
14, 1911, its dedication took place. The new building is located on the corner
of Sixth and Arch Streets. It contains a large assembly room on the second
floor, an apparatus and lounging room on the main floor and a banquet hall
in the basement.
Its equipment consists of a combination Chemical Hose and Ladder Truck,
purchased by popular subscription, and one thousand feet of rubber composition
hose, provided by Council. The company consists of one hundred sixty-three
members, and has an enviable record for successful combats with devouring
flames. They belong to the State and Four County Firemen's Association with
a standing of a high order, and therefore merit implicit confidence and liberal
support. Its present officers are: President, William Thomas; Secretary, Clar-
ence Kriebel; Treasurer, Clifford C. Young.
THE EAST END INDEPENDENT HOSE AND CHEMICAL COMPANY NO. I.
Individual opinions and desires of leading citizens of the new Third Ward
gradually moulded men's minds into favoring the organization of a Fire Com-
pany. An initial citizens' meeting was held at the Fairmount Hotel, June 7,
1911, at which prominent citizens of the Borough addressed their fellowmen. On
June 21st, another meeting was called, a company organized, and officers elected.
The title adopted was, "The East End Chemical and Hose Company No. 3."
When the Borough Council could not see its way clear to grant recognition to
this newly organized Fire Company, as was reported by their committee, July
30
THE HISTORY
8, 1911, it was resolved to change the name to "The East End Independent
Hose and Chemical Company No. 1.''
Meeting's were held, l>y the courtesy of the School Board, in the vacated
school house on North Fourteenth Street in the Third Ward. By popular sub-
scriptions, festivals, etc., sufficient funds were accumulated to warrant the pur-
chase of three hundred feet of hose, a hose cart, and a plot of ground on Eace
Street as a first step toward the erection of a Fire Hall.
A resolution to pro-
ceed with hiiilding op-
erations was adopted
May 1, 1913. The
building is a one-
story lii'ick structure,
twenty by sixty feet
in dimensions, and
e(iuipped with the lat-
est conveniences and
appliances. The char-
ter meniliership con-
sisted of eighty-five
men, and the present enrollment is one hundred fifty. The present officers are:
Pi-i^sident, Harvey W. Snyder ; Vice-President, Wayne Frantz ; Secretary, Clar-
ence C. Kurtz ; Treasurer, F. R. A. Goldsmith.
LIGHT. HEAT AND POWER.
The first street lighting in the Borough and vicinity was by open flame gas
burners on lamp posts. When, during very cold weather, the service leading to
the lamps would freeze, the system became practicallj' useless.
The Catasauqua Gas Company was chartered during 1856, and was one
of the oldest gas companies in the Leliigh Valley.
Production by coal cost the consumer four dollars fifty cents per thousand
feet. Water-gas, or the manufacture of gas from oil, was a later product. Al-
EAST END FIRE COMPANY.
OF CATASAUQUA 31
though the generating set for this production of gas is still intact, it is not in
operation.
In 1900, the Catasauqua Gas Company was consolidated with the Con-
sumers ' and the People 's Gas Companies into the Northampton Gas and Electric
Company. In November, 1907, a Bondholders' Committee reorganized the Le-
high-Northampton Gas and Electric Company into the Lehigh-Northampton
Light, Heat and Power Company, which through a Bondholders' Committee dis-
• posed of the gas portion to the AUentown-Bethlehem Gas Company, Lessee, De-
cember 23, 1913.
The production of gas for the year 1913 was 19,000,000 feet, which was
consumed by 1153 patrons in Catasauqua, North Catasauqua, Coplay, Northamp-
ton, Hokendauqua, and West Catasauqua.
The approximate length of gas-mains is fifteen miles, and the value of the
property is about one hundred fifty thousand dollars.
The AUentown-Bethlehem Gas Company proposes to enlarge mains and
service pipes, and to extend lines on streets not now supplied.
The Catasauqua Electric Light and Power Company was organized in 1890,
and on April 7th of the same year. Town Council granted the new company the
right to occupy the streets of the Borough with poles and wires as was necessary
for the conduct of its business.
The generating system was of the old Edison, three wire direct current style,
which is now practically obsolete in the Lehigh Valley. In 1900, the Catasauqua
Electric Light and Power Company, the Northampton Electric Company and the
Lehigh County Electric Company were consolidated with the gas companies
mentioned above, into the Lehigh-Northampton Gas and Electric Company.
In November, 1907, a Bondholders' Committee reorganized the Lehigh-
Northampton Gas and Electric Company into the Lehigh-Northampton Light,
Heat and Power Company, which, through a Bondholders ' Committee disposed of
the electric portion to the Lehigh Valley Light and Power Company.
From the beginning, progress was not very rapid until about 1900, when
» alternating current was distributed to what is now termed the Borough of
32
THE HISTORY
Northampton ou the east, and the Borough of C'oplay on the west side of the
river.
During 1890, the gas street-lighting was discontinued and the ordinary
thirty-two candle poAver lamps substituted, which was the system of street-
lighting in the Borough of Catasau(iua until 1900, at which time a contract was
made with the Borough to furnish arc lamps to aid deficient service.
LEHIGH— NORTHAMPTON POWER HOUSE.
At present, a new style s.ystem, termed series street-lighting, is used in con-
nection with the arc lamps. This is a great improvement over the old style
system used in 1890.
During the past few years, electricity for motive power has been introduced
and is rapidly supplanting the smaller isolated installation; and, with the cost
of manufacturing current being reduced yearly, it will become a matter of
OP CATASAUQUA 33
economy for some larger manufacturers to substitute electric current for motive
power.
The territory being served with electricity consists of the Boroughs of
Catasauqua, North Catasauqua, Coplay, Northampton, and Fullerton and Egypt.
The number of consumers is one thousand, and the value of the plant is estimated
at two hundred thousand dollars.
COMMUNICATION.
Two telephone lines place Catasauqua in communication with the rest of
the world; and the fact that two exchange stations are located here shows that
this is a centre of the language commerce of the earth.
Town Council passed an ordinance, April 7, 1890, granting the Bell Tele-
phone Company of Pennsylvania the right to occupy highways and streets with
poles and wires for the proper conduct of its business and satisfactory service
of its patrons.
The Company pays into the Borough treasury the sum of twenty-five cents
per annum for each pole bearing not over four wires, and an additional five cents
for each additional wire raised. The service of the Bell is superb. Six operators
are in charge of Catasauqua 's Exchange, and the number of patrons in the Bor-
ough at present is two hundred thirty-one.
On Febuary 5, 1900, Council passed an ordinance granting privilege to the
Lehigh Telephone Company to enter town and conduct business. The Company
paid the expenses incurred in draughting and publishing the ordinance, and
agreed to supply the fire-engine houses, office of the Chief of Police and Council
chamber with phones free of charge.
The franchises granted by this ordinance shall not be assignable or transfer-
rable without the consent of the Borough authorities on pain of forfeiture of
said rights and franchises.
The services of the Lehigh have improved steadily until today they compare
favorably with the best. The Exchange is manipulated by five persons, and the
number of patrons in town is one hundred seventy-six.
A wise and proper provision with all parties, erecting poles and stringing
wires in the Borough of Catasauqua, is that the Borough reserves the right to
34
THE HISTORY
place fire alarm apparatus on poles, and string wires upon them, as may be
expedient.
POLICE FORCE.
The first High Constable of whom we have found any record was Charles
Sigley, who was appointed March 18, 1853. An ordinance prescribing certain
rules for the government of the department was passed in 1870. Hartley Clar]?
was then High Constable and William Koons his assistant.
Charles E. Sheckler was appointed June 7, 1875, and has served as public
guardian ever since, save a brief intermission of four years, 1908-1912, when J.
Henry Leickel was chief of Police.
Chief Sheckler is a familiar figure on our streets which he guards zealously
against vagrants and the scions of evil and harm. Our Lockup is not an institu-
tion which inspires much of aesthetics but it serves our Borough well as a terror
to evil doers. It is a dark background to the sublime picture of human being
out of which the penitent errorist may the better behold the beauty of a righteous
life and solemnly resolved to walk in the rays of its happy day, when freedom's
air is breathed again.
It is interesting to note the names of men who wore brass buttons and swung
the Billy to the measured time of their gait.
John Hinely
Charles Sigley
John Wint
Peter Loux
Henry Sellers
Mr. McKeifer
Joseph Lazarus
Bartley Clark
W. A. Hilbert
Joseph Schwab
B. F. Huffort
Osbin Laub
William Bloss
Hopkin Hopkins
William Moat
Edward Bickel
Joseph Mertz
Andrew Smith
Edward Allender
George Shellard
Chester Mertz
Jerry Schoenenberger
William Mason
Elias Bush
Andrew Smith
Howard Benvenuti
Alvin Roth
HEALTH.
On the fifth day of June, 1893, Town Council passed an ordinance whereby
a Board of Health was created for Catasauqua. In compliance with an Act
of Assembly, the Borough was divided into five Districts. The Secretary of the
OF CATASAtQUA 35
Board and the Health Officer were placed under bond to the amount of one hun-
dred dollars and three hundred dollars, respectively.
An ordinance of thirty-two sections was adopted by the Board, June 13,
1893, giving directions for the removal of obnoxious or infectious matter, warn-
ing against wilful filthiness, and prescribing the best methods of preventing the
spread of disease.
The Health Officer is amenable to many rules, chief among which is the duty
to inspect cellars and other apartments of the homes of the Borough with a view
to cleanliness and the health and happiness of our people.
Austin A. Glick, Esq., has served as secretary of the Board since its or-
ganization. The Health Officers were "William K. Biery, January 6, 1893 to
March 2, 1896 ; Stephen Prick, March 2, 1896 to May 31, 1909 ; James Dyatt,
May 31, 1909 to August 3, 1913; C. Frank Hunsicker, August 5, 1913—.
The members of the Board besides Secretary Gliek are : Pi^esiaeBjj.^ Charles
Milson, M. D., Oscar J. Stine, Clifford H. Riegel, and Amandus Boyer.
THE CATASAUQUA CHARITY SOCIETY.
At a public meeting held Tuesday evening, January 24, 1911, in the Bridge
Street Presbyterian Church, at which every congregation in town was represent-
ed, a unanimous vote was cast to organize a Charity Society. Mrs. Jennie A.
Griffith of Easton addressed the meeting and gave valuable information as to
the manner and method of conducting such a society.
Dr. Charles L. Fry presented a constitution and by-laws, which were unani-
mously adopted. The reasons for such an organization are the following:
"To promote effective co-operation between Churches and private agencies
that relief, when needed, shall be adequate and shall be obtained from proper
sources; to prevent imposition and unwise duplication of relief; to investigate
applications for relief; to keep permanent records of all cases investigated; to
organize a body of friendly visitors who shall personally attend upon cases need-
ing counsel and advice; to procure work for poor persons who are capable of
being wholly or partially self-supporting; to repress mendicancy by the above
means and by the prosecution of impostors. ' '
36 THE HISTORY
The following of5ficers were elected : H. J. Reinhard, President ; A. A. Glick,
Secretary; H. R. Hall, Treasurer; J. Arthur Williams, Joseph Matchette, P. J.
Laubach, J. F. Moyer, E. J. Lawall and William Weisley, Board of Managers.
The receipts for the three years of its existence are $800.07 and the ex-
penditures $768.01.
The officers of the Society at present are: H. J. Reinhard, President; A. A.
Glick, Secretary ; J. Arthur Williams, Treasurer ; J. F. Moyer, E. J. Lawall, J. S.
Stillman, Arthur A. Greene, Edmund Randall, Joseph Matchette, Board of Man-
agers.
CIVIC LEAGUE.
During the fall and early winter months of 1912, a number of the ladies of
town attended a very wholesome Mission Study Glass in the Chapel of the First
Presbyterian Church. Through the influence of their study, and the mutual
conference it afforded, a temper for local betterment was awakened. It there-
fore was resolved, January, 1913, to organize a Civic League of Catasauqua and
to abet any and every measure that tends to improve and beautify the place of
our abode.
Women of other cities and towns were invited to address the League. Much
valuable information was attained and the ardor of the ladies enkindled not a
little. Forty names were enrolled at its inception. Through the courtesy of the
School Board their meetings are held in the High School Building. A concert
by the Muhlenberg Glee Club in the High School Auditorium netted them some
cash, which added to their small treasury, raised by means of dues from their
members, enabled them to purchase waste-material receptacles which are located
at certain vantage points in the town.
Their officers are : Mrs. Harry Barnhurst, President ; Miss Dorothy Williams,
Secretary; Miss Ella Schneller, Treasurer.
OP CATASAUQUA
37
(0
IT
o
S
z
o
38 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER II.— INDUSTRIES.
CRANE IRON WORKS.
Before proceeding to the statement of certain historical facts regarding this
Company, it will no doubt prove interesting to introduce such information as is
available regarding the first use of Anthracite coal in the manufacture of pig
iron in the United States.
We are celebrating in Catasauqua in the year 1914, the seventy-fifth anni-
versary of the erection of blast furnaces from which pig iron was first produced
on July 4, 1840, and at which plant Anthracite coal has continued to be used in
the making of pig iron at Catasauqua almost continuously since the erection
of the first furnace until the present year, and it might be of further interest to
note here the fact that the year in which this celebration is being held marks the
first year in the history of the furnace plant in which Anthracite coal has not to
some extent been used as a fuel for the making of pig iron.
It is not claimed by any one with a knowledge of the history of pig iron
manufacture that the furnaces at Catasauqua produced the first pig iron made
by the use of Anthracite coal in the United States, but it is true that the furnaces
here, erected in 1839, were the first of all the early Anthracite furnaces which were
completely successful from an engineering and commercial standpoint and which
continued to manufacture pig iron successfully by using Anthracite coal, over a
long period of time.
We quote from several authentic articles on this subject as these contain
the most carefully compiled information in existence with regard to this branch
of the iron industry. The following extract is made from a report, of the Penn-
sylvania Board of Centennial Managers to the Pennsylvania Legislature at the
Session of 1878 and forms a part of a volume entitled "Introduction to a His-
tory of Pig Iron Making and Coal Mining in Pennsylvania ' ' by James M. Swank,
OP CATASAUQUA 39
who was the Secretary of the American Iron & Steel Association for forty years,
his term of service beginning January 1, 1873.
"Down to 1838 all the blast furnaces in the United States, with the excep-
tion of a few coke furnaces, used charcoal for fuel. In that year pig iron was
successfully made in Pennsylvania from anthracite coal. We present below a
complete account of the first steps that were taken to use the new fuel in blast
furnaces.
In 1840 Jesse B. Quinby testified, in the suit of Parr & Kunzi against the
Schuylkill Navigation Company, that he used anthracite coal at Harford furnace,
Maryland, mixed with one-half charcoal, in 1815. He believed himself to be the
first person in the United States to use anthracite coal in smelting iron. In 182G
The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company erected near Mauch Chunk a small
furnace intended to use anthracite in smelting iron. The enterprise was not suc-
cessful. In 1827 unsuccessful experiments in smelting iron with anthracite coal
from Rhode Island were made at one of the small furnaces in Kingston, Ply-
mouth County, Massachusetts. These experiments failed because the blast used
was cold. About 1827 a similar failure in the use of anthracite took place at
Vizille, in France. Doubtless other unsuccessful attempts than those here record-
ed were made to smelt iron ore with anthracite coal, but these were probably
the earliest.
In 1828 James B. Neilson, of Scotland, obtained a patent for the use of
hot air in the smelting of iron ore in blast furnaces, and in 1837 the smelting of
iron ore with anthracite coal by means of the Neilson hot-blast was successfully
accomplished by George Crane, at his iron-works at Ynyscedwin, in Wales. Mr.
Crane began the use of a blast furnace obtaining 36 tons a week. In May of
that year Solomon W. Roberts of Philadelphia visited his works and witnessed
the complete success of the experiment. Mr. Crane had taken out a patent on the
28th of September, 1836, for smelting iron ore with anthracite coal. Upon the
recommendation of Mr. Roberts, after his return from Wales, the Lehigh Crane
Iron Company was organized in 1838 to manufacture pig iron from the anthra-
cite coal of the Lehigh Valley. In that year Brskine Hazard went to Wales for
the company and there made himself acquainted with the process of making
anthracite iron. He ordered to be made such machinery as was necessary, under
the direction of George Crane, the inventor, and engaged David Thomas, who was
familiar with the process to take charge of the erection of the works, and the
manufacture of the iron. Mr. Thomas arrived in the summer of 1839, and to
his faithful and intelligent management much of the success of the enterprise is
due. The first furnace of this company was successfully blown in on the 4th
of July, 1840. But it was not the first successful anthracite furnace in this
country, as will presently appear.
On the 19th of December, 1833, a patent Was granted to Dr. F. W. Geissen-
heimer, of New York, for smelting iron ore with anthracite coal, by the applica-
40 THE HISTORY
tion of heated air. Dr. Geissenheimer made experiments in smelting iron ore
with anthracite at the Valley furnace, northeast of Pottsville, but they were not
successful, although the results achieved were highly encouraging. ' '
There are mentioned several experimental operations at Cressons, Schuyl-
kill County ; at South Easton, Northampton County ; and at Mauch Chunk dur-
ing the years from 1836 to 1839.
He continues: —
' ' The next furnace to use anthracite was the Pioneer, built in 1837 and 1838
at Pottsville, by "William Lyman, of Boston, under the auspices of Burd Patter-
son, and blast was unsuccessfully applied July 10, 1839. Benjamin Perry, who
had blown in the coke furnace at Farrandsville, then took charge of it, and blew
it in October 19, 1839, with complete success. This furnace was blown by steam-
power. The blast was heated in ovens at the base of the furnace, with anthra-
cite, to a temperature of 600 degrees, and supplied through three tuyeres at a
pressure of 2 to 2^ lbs. per square inch. The product was about 28 tons a week
of good foundry iron. The furnace continued in blast for some time. A premium
of $5,000.00 was paid by Nicholas Biddle and others to Mr. Lyman, as the first
person in the United States who had made anthracite pig iron continuously for
one hundred days. Danville furnace, in Montour County, was built by Biddle,
Chambers & Co., and was successfully blown in with anthracite in April, 1840,
producing 35 tons of iron weekly with steam-power. Roaring Creek furnace,
in Montour County, built by Burd Patterson & Co., was next blown in with an-
thracite, May 18„ 1840, and produced 40 tons of iron weekly with water-power.
A charcoal furnace at Phoenixville, built in 1837 by Reeves, Buck & Co., was
blown in with anthracite, June 17, 1840, by William Pirmstone, and produced
from 28 to 30 tons of pig iron weekly with water-power. The hot-blast stove
which was planned and erected by Julius Guiteau of the Mauch Chunk furnace,
was situated on one side of the tunnel head, and heated by the escaping flame
of the furnace. This furnace continued in blast until 1841. Columbia furnace
at Danville, was built in 1839 by George Patterson, and blown in with anthra-
cite by Mr. Perry on July 2, 1840, and made from 30 to 32 tons of iron weekly,
using steam-power. The next furnace to use anthracite, and the last one we shall
mention was built at Catasauqua, for the Lehigh Crane Iron Co., in 1839, by
David Thomas. It was successfully blown in by him on the 4th of July, 1840,
as we have stated, and produced 50 tons a week of good foundry iron, water-
power being used.
It will be observed that while Mr. Neilson invented the hot blast, Dr. Geis-
senheimer was the first to propose the use of anthracite coal by means of heated
air for the manufacture of pig iron, and that Mr. Crane was the first to success-
fully apply the hot blast of Mr. Neilson for this purpose. Dr. Geissenheimer
OF CATASAUQUA 41
experimented as early as 1833 with ovens for heating air before its introduction
into the blast furnace in which anthracite was used as a fuel, and his patent bears
date of that year ; but his invention was not successfully applied until after Mr.
Crane had made iron at Ynyscedwin. Dr. Geissenheimer is entitled to the honor
of having proposed what Mr. Crane was the first to accomplish. His patent
limited to the United States, was purchased by Mr. Crane, who, in November,
1838, patented some addition to it in this country. The patent was never en-
forced here, but Mr. Crane compelled the ironmasters of Great Britain to pay
him tribute. Dr. Geissenheimer died at Lebanon, Pa., where he had long resided.
The discovery in 1839 and 1840, that anthracite coal could be successfully
used in the manufacture of pig iron gave a great impetus to the iron industry
in Maryland, New Jersey and New York, as well as in Pennsylvania. The rich
magnetic ores of New Jersey were first smelted with anthracite coal by Edwin
Post, Esq., at Stanhope, in 1840. On the 1st of January, 1876, there were 225
anthracite furnaces in the country, 161 in Pennsylvania."
Vol. III. of the Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers
contains a "Sketch of the Early Anthracite Furnaces" by William Firmstone,
Glendon Iron Works, Easton, Pa., this paper having been submitted at a meeting
of the Association held in Hazleton in October, 1874.
He refers to the erection of the first furnace at Catasauqua and concludes :
"With the erection of this furnace commenced the era of higher and larger
furnaces and better blast machinery, with consequent improvements in yield
and quality of iron produced.
It was the commencement' of an enterprise that, under the able manage-
ment of Mr. Thomas, resulted in building up one of the largest and most suc-
cessful works in the Lehigh Valley, now consisting of six blast furnaces, some
of them 60 feet high and 17 or 18 feet in the boshes, producing 250 tons of pig
iron a week, and using the escaping gas to raise steam and heat the blast. ' '
In the year 1892 there was published a "History of the Manufacture of Iron
in all ages, and particularly in the United States from Colonial times to 1891."
The author of this history was James M. Swank, to whom reference is made
above, and in his preface to this edition, Mr. Swank states :
"In the collection of the materials for this volume I have been exceedingly
fortunate in possessing a personal acquaintance with most of the leading actors
in the wonderful development of our American iron industry during the present
century, and in learning from their own lips and from their own letters many
of the incidents of that development. It is the exact truth to say that, if the
preparation of this history had been delayed for a few years, it could not have
been written, for many of these pioneers are now dead. ' '
42 THE HISTORY
This latter contribution may therefore be regarded as an authority with
respect to the subject which it covers, and we quote from it a single paragraph :
"David Thomas was born on November 3, 1794, at a place called, in
English, Grey House, within two and a half miles of the town of Neath, in the
County of Glamorgan, South Wales. He landed in the United States on June
5, 1839, and on July 9th of that year commenced to build the furnace at Cata-
sauqua. He died at Catasauqua on June 20, 1882, in his 88th year. At the
time of his death he was the oldest ironmaster in the United States in length of
service, and he was next to Peter Cooper, the oldest in years. David Thomas's
character and services to the American iron trade are held in high honor by all
American iron and steel manufacturers. He is affectionately styled the Father
of the American anthracite iron industry, because the furnace built under his
directions at Catasauqua and blown in by him was the first of all the early an-
thracite furnaces that was completely successful, both from an engineering and
a commercial standpoint, and also because he subsequently became identified
with the manufacture of anthracite pig iron on a more extensive scale than any
of his contemporaries. He was the founder of the Thomas Iron Company, at
Hokendauqua, which has long been at the head of the producers of anthracite
pig iron. The first two furnaces of this Company were built by Mr. Thomas in
1855."
It will be observed that in this statement, Mr. Swank gives us in a very
few words the historical position of Catasauqua with relation to the use of an-
thracite coal in the manufacture of pig iron.
COEPOEATE EXISTENCE.
A charter was granted to the Lehigh Crane Iron Company on May 16, 1839,
for twenty-five years under an Act of the Legislature of Pennsylvania entitled
"An Act to encourage the manufacture of iron with coke or mineral coal and
for other purposes," passed June 16, 1836. The charter was renewed in 1864
for a further term of twenty-five years, expiring in 1889.
In 1872, when an increase was being made in the Capital Stock, the corporate
name of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company was changed to "The Crane Iron
Company. ' '
The property, rights, franchises and privileges were transferred on January
30, 1895, to the Crane Iron Works, the existing corporation, which was, upon
application, granted a perpetual charter on October 8, 1908.
OP CATASAUQUA 43
ACQUISITION OF RIGHTS.
The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, feeling that their interests would
be promoted by securing the business of manufacturing iron from the use of
anthracite coal to be extensively established along the line of their canal im-
provements and in order to encourage and induce the same, at a meeting of their
Board of Directors held July 2, 1839, passed the following resolution : —
"Resolved, That the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company will give in fee
simple all the water power of any one of the Dams between Allentown and Parry-
viRe except so much thereof as may in the opinion of the Managers be necessary
for the Navigation and Two hundred inches of water under a Three feet head
at each Lock for propelling Boats and other crafts on the said Navigation, to
any Company or individuals or their assigns who shall actually expend or cause
to be expended Thirty Thousand Dollars in improving the Site for Iron Works
and in making the experiment of Manufacturing iron from the Ore with anthra-
cite coal, should this amount be required to be expended before succeeding in
the manufacture of iron. The fee of the water power to become vested in the
said Company or individuals or their assigns either upon their succeeding in
making iron at the rate of twenty-seven tons a week, or in case of failure when
they shall show to the satisfaction of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company
that the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars has been expended as above mentioned
in making the attempt. The land belonging to the Company suitable for using
the said water power upon, and not necessary for the navigation, shall be in
eluded in the Deed. Should they succeed in making iron with anthracite coal,
then not more than one fourth of the water power thus granted shall be used for
any other purpose than in the manufacture of iron from the Ore, or in the
manufacture of articles from iron thus made. The water in all cases to be so
drawn as not to interfere with the navigation and subject to the regulations
contained in the Company's printed deeds. The dam must be specified and the
work commenced by the first of September One Thousand Eight Hundred and
Thirty Nine, and at least Fifteen Thousand Dollars expended in the work within
two years from that date. ' '
On July 8, 1839, the Lehigh Crane Iron Company signified their acceptance
of the proposal of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, which had subse-
quently been confirmed by action of its stockholders, and on December 15, 1840,
the Lehigh Crane Iron Co., having fulfilled the conditions imposed, were granted
a conveyance of the property and water rights by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation
Co.
44 THE HISTORY
In a report submitted by the President to the stockholders of the Crane
Iron Company on May 28, 1884, the following information with regard to the
erection, dismantling and replacement of the furnaces is given: —
"The first furnace, commonly designated as No. 1, was constructed in the
year 1840, and was 45 feet in height x 11 feet bosh.
Furnace No. 2 was built in 1842, and was 45 x 13 feet.
Furnace No. 3, in 1846, was 55 x 16% feet.
All of these furnaces were fitted up with iron hot stoves, and the three had
a total average weekly capacity of about 420 tons.
In 1879, No. 3 fell down, and it was then determined to remove the three
old stacks, and to erect new ones upon the sites of Nos. 1 and 3, and to place fire-
brick hot stoves upon the ground formerly occupied by stack No. 2. Nos. 1 and
2 were accordingly torn down in 1880, and the new No. 3 was completed and
blown in in November, 1880.
The new No. 3 is 60 x 17, and the new No. 1 was completed in 1881, and
is 75 X 18 feet.
The cost of new No. 1 was $103,461.74, and of No. 3, $96,211.10. The old
boilers had been in use from the original erection of the plant and were no longer
safe. They were replaced with new steel boilers, which with the boiler house cost
$84,410.23.
The increased capacity of the new furnaces required additional blowing
engines, and two new engines were furnished by the I. P. Morris Company and
put in operation in January, 1884, at a cost of $31,283.43.
These expenditures have been fully justified by the result. As compared
with the old furnaces, which they have replaced, there has been a saving of %
ton of fuel to a ton of iron, and an average saving of about 75 per cent, per ton
in labor.
The new furnaces have not yet done as well as may reasonably be expected,
but No. 1 furnace made 22,281% tons in the year 1883, of which 19,600 tons ,
were foundry iron; and No. 3 furnace made 19,507% tons, of which 15,443 tons
were foundry iron. The largest weekly output of No. 1 furnace was 510 tons.
The largest weekly output of No. 3 was 450 tons.
The dates of construction and sizes of remaining furnaces are as follows : —
No. 4, 1849 55 X 17%
No. 5, 1850 60 X 17%
No. 6, 1868 60 X 17%
Of these. No. 4 requires to be relined; No. 5 (which has fire-brick hot stoves
erected in the year 1877) is in blast; and No. 6 is ready to be blown in when
desired. The capacity of the five furnaces is about 1800 tons weekly, or 90,000
tons a year."
OF CATASAUQUA
45
It will lie seen tlu'vcforc that in 1884, five furnaces I'eiiiaincd as follows: —
No. 1, 1880 75 X 18
No. 3, 1881 65 X 17
No. 4, 1849 55 X 17y2
No. 5, 185U 60 X 17^/2
No. 6, 1868 60 X ITVz
In 188!l No. '■] turnaoe was raised to the height of 75 feet and eonlijined
standing mitil the latter part of 1!I13 when it was dismantled. No. 4 fui'iiaee
was blown out in July, 18f)0, and several years later was dismantled. No. 5
fni'naee was torn down in 1908 and a furnace known as No. 2, size 80 .x 17%.
was erected on this site. No. 6 was torn down in 1904, and tlu' jjlant therefore
consists of only two furnaces at this time known as Nos. 1 and 2, the coml)ined
annual capacity of which is about 130,000 tons.
EMPIRE STEEL & IRON COMPANY.
The Empire Steel &
Iron Company was in-
corporated under the
laws of the State of New
Jersey, March 13, 1899,
acquiring and operating
l)last fui'uaces in Penn-
sylvania, New Jersey,
^'irg■inia and North Car-
olina. The Company has
disposed of its holdings
in the South and now
operates furnaces at
Topton and Macungie,
Pennsylvania, and Ox-
ford, New Jersey, and
extensive magnetic ore
mines at Oxford and
Mount Hope, New Jer-
sey.
EMPIRE OFFICE.
46 THE HJ STORY
The Company also controls, through stock ownership, the Crane Iron Works,
Catasauqua, Pa., the Crane Railroad Company, Catasauqua, Pa., Mount Hope
Mineral Railroad Company in New Jersey, and the Victoria Coal & Coke Com-
pany in West Virginia.
Prom its New Jersey Ore Mines is supplied a large proportion of the ore
used in the operation of its furnaces, and the development of these mining prop-
erties has been carried forward along modern lines in the past few years, result-
ing in a largely increased output.
The General Offices of the Company have been located at Catasauqua since
June 1, 1900.
THE THOMAS IRON COMPANY.
Eighteen interested people attended an initial meeting called to discuss plans
for the organization of an Iron Company. This meeting was held February 14,
1854, at Mrs. White's tavern on Centre Square, Easton, Pa. The building is
now used by the United States Government as the Post Office of the city of
Easton. A resolution was adopted calling the Company "The Thomas Iron Com-
pany" in honor of David Thomas who projected it, and in recognition of his
work as pioneer in the successful manufacture of iron by the use of anthra-
cite coal.
The capital stock was fixed at two hundred thousand ($200,000) dollars,
steps taken to procure a charter and a committee appointed to select and pur-
chase a site for the works. David Thomas was authorized to purchase the Thomas
Butz farm situated on the west bank of the Lehigh River, about a mile above
Catasauqua, as the most elegible site for the works. The farm contained 185
acres 90 perches and the price paid for it was $37„112.50. The deed passed
July 7, 1854.
The Board of Managers resolved, March 14, 1854, to construct two blast
furnaces, known as Nos. 1 and 2. Contract for the mason work was given May
10th to Samuel McHose of AUentown, Pa. Samuel Kinsey was employed as
the first bookkeeper and his services continued for twenty-four years.
A contract for the first two boilers was made April 7, 1854, at a cost of
$9,353 on the wharf at Brooklyn; and for two beam blowing engines on boat
48
THE HISTORY
at Cold Springs, N. Y., at $42,600. The engines had steam cylinders of 56
inches diameter, and blowing cylinders of 84 inches diameter by nine feet stroke.
At a meeting of the Board of Directors, June 8, 1854, the name of the place
of the furnaces was selected and adopted. The suggestion had been made to
call it Coplay — the town above it being called "Schriber's" at this time. But
after some discussion the suggestion of Hokendauqua, by David Thomas, was
adopted.
"Hokendauqua derives its name from a small creek which empties into the
Lehigh on the eastern side, about half a mile above the village. It is an Indian
word, 'Hockin' in the Delaware Indian language signifying 'Landing.' The
name, in fact, was not given to a stream of water, but was an exclamation used
by the Indians at the time the first Irish settlers located there in 1730. It was
probably made use of in speaking to the surveyors ; a large portion of the streams
were named in this manner by the surveyors." (See Henry's "History of the
Lehigh Valley," page 300.)
On November 9, 1854, the town was laid out, and the streets named. Homes
were built in 1868 for the General Superintendent, the Superintendent and other
members of the staff. Rows of brick houses were also erected for the employees
of the Company. The town has been supplied with spring water, pumped from
a spring on the river bank, since 1855. The Company also donated land for a
school house and for the Presbyterian Church.
The following list shows the date when each of the six furnaces at Hoken-
dauqua first produced pig iron (list made in 1904) .
Furnace Date Present Size
No. 1 June 3, 1855 17 by 80 feet
No. 2 October 27, 1855 Abandoned
No. 3 July 18, 1862 17 by 80 feet
No. 4 April 29, 1863 Abandoned
No. 5 September 15, 1873 17 by 60 feet
No. 6 January 19, 1874 17 by 60 feet
The Thomas Iron Company owns furnace properties whose values run into
millions. Besides Hokendauqua, plants are located at Alburtis, Pa., Island
OP CATASAUQUA 49
Park, Pa.; Hellertown, Pa.; and their holdings in ore lands and lime stone beds
are almost endless. They own properties in New Jersey, and in Pennsylvania
near Hellertown, Rittenhouse Gap, Red Lion, Bingen, and in North and South
Whitehall, Salisbury, Upper and Lower Macungie and Longswamp Townships.
They own the Ironton Railroad which is noted in this volume. The Thomas Iron
Company also subscribed 40 per cent, of the original cost of the Catasau(|ua and
Pogelsville Railroad.
At the opening of the current century, the iron market was good. Nine
furnaces were In full blast, producing an output of 260,000 tons. At present
but one furnace is in operation in Hokendauqua. The affairs of the Company
have always been well managed. Thomas Iron Company stocks have been con-
sidered gilt-edged investments. During the first fifty years of its history, the
Company paid dividends amounting to 560.91 per cent.
In Hokendauqua the Company established a Church, gave $3500 towards
the erection of a building and donated the land. At Alburtis they donated prop-
erty for a church and $1000 for a cemetery. They also gave $500 toward the
Hokendauqua parsonage. In honor of five employees who gave their lives for
their country during the Civil War, the Company made a generous gift of
money toward the soldiers' monument erected in Fairview Cemetery. The war
tax on pig iron alone paid to the United States Government from July, 1864,
to July, 1866, was $200,423.83.
THE GRIST MILL.
The original mill on the site of the present Mauser and Cressman mill prop-
erty was established in 1752, five years before the ford across the Lehigh River
was built.
It would be interesting to reproduce the harmonies of the splashing old mill-
wheel, with the intermedes of the fulling mill that stood near by, and the obli-
gato strains of the glittering saw that sliced the parent stem of many a denizon
of the forest into building material for the new palaces of the burg.
The mill race, along whose brush grown edge the morning lays of a thousand
throats of the harbingers of spring were the daily inspiration of men and maidens
50
THE HISTORY
wciuling their way to toil, ran from the CatasaiKpia (_'reel<: close by the Race
Street bridge at the Uavies and Thomas foundry, through the site of the Dery
silk mill and the front yard of the Mauser home.
Tradition affords us no information of the proprietorship of the old mill
until the lieginning of the nineteenth century, when Frederick and Henry Biery
bought the place. Solomon Biery succeeded his father Frederick and continued
MAUSER & CRESSMAN FLOUR MILLS
in business until toward the close of the tifties, when Milton Berger and William
Younger secured the property. Upon Mr. Berger "s death, Mr. Younger carried
on the trade until 1891 when it fell into the hands of the National Bank of
Catasau(iua.
Uriah Kiirtz operated the mill for the Bank until 1895, when it was bought
by George Mauser.
The old fulling mill was discontinued during the days of Solomon Biery
and the saw mill cut its last slabs some time during the eighties.
OP CATASAUQUA . 51
Upon the death of George D. Mauser, in 1898, the property naturally fell
into the hands of Frank B. Mauser and Allen H. Cressman, who have operated
the mill since. As soon as Mr. Mauser took possession of the mill, he installed
new machinery in every department and doubled her capacity. He abandoned
the use of water from the intermittent Catasauqua creek and secured all his
power from the canal. A railroad side track was also introduced along the rear
of the mill, and a power shovel for unloading grain shipped in bulk.
Fire destroyed the entire mill in 1898, after which it was rebuilt with an-
other doubling of its capacity and the installation of the most improved
and up-to-date machinery.
"The Mauser and Cressman" is a household motto for flour in countless
homes in all our Eastern States.
F. W. WINT COMPANY, LIMITED.
The firm of F. W. Wint Company, Limited, is engaged in the sale of Lumber,
Coal and Planing Mill "Work. A certain proportion of several grades of their
lumber is sawed directly from the logs in their various tracts of timber. The
following is a short sketch of the history of the concern.
After Nathan Fegley of Mauch Chunk abandoned his lumber-yard, where
the Town Hall of Catasauqua is now located, and went back to Mauch Chunk,
John Stoddard of White Haven leased a track of land from Owen Swartz at
Front and Spring Streets. He shipped lumber here from White Haven on boats,
and had Owen Swartz as his agent to sell the lumber. This was as early as 1853.
Some years prior to the Civil War, he sold his interest to Owen Swartz, who
carried on his business of selling lumber until 1863, when he took in Horatio D.
Yeager as partner and carried on the business as Swartz and Yeager. In 1870,
Owen Swartz sold his interest to Ferdinand W. Wint, who conducted the business
as Yeager and Wint until 1872. Then Geo. W. Cyphers purchased an interest
and the firm was conducted as Yeager, Wint and Cyphers. Upon the death of
Cyphers, about 1873, the interest was purchased by Yeager and Wint, and for a
time the business was carried on as H. D. Yeager and Co. In 1874, Yeager sold
out to F. W. Wint, Owen F. Fatzinger and James P. Wint, who conducted the
business as F. W.Wint & Co. Upon the death of F. W. Wint in 1882, Rufus M.
OJ, THE H1ST<.)RY
Wiiit became a iiiemher ol' the Hi'iii. These men ti'aded uiKh^' the same firm
name until (.^etolier. 1900, when the said jtartners organized a stock eoi'poration
under the Limited P;irtnersliip Laws, P"'rank J. Fatzinger and Owen A. Fatzinger
Ix'coming stoek-liolders. Since this time tlie business has l)een carried on as
F. AV, Wiut Company, Limited.
In the early histoi'y of the firm, logs were jnirchased at Easton and rafted
here where the logs were sawed into lumber bv a steam saw mill. This lasted as
F. W. WINT CO.
long as it proved a commercial proposition. At present their saw mills ai'e located
on their various tracts. A planing-mill and coal-yard have been added to their
business.
The plant has l>een enlarged at various times, particularly by the purchase
in 1902, of the ground of the ('atasau(|ua Rolling Mills.
The concern is capitalized at H^60,000, tarries a stock of about 21/2 millions
of feet of lumber, and is equipped to furnish anything made from wood. The
OF CATASAUQUA 53
sales cover a wide territory and their business has been gradually on the increase.
They employ from 60 to 75 hands.
I'TNE OLEIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
A secret process for the manufacture of a sweeping compound and general
disinfectant was bought in 1909, l)y F. C. Smith and Franklin Trumbauer of
Allentown, which they named "Pine Olein. "
After experimenting for about a year, they perfected the product, and then
admitted Frank J. Patzinger and Owen A. Patzinger into the project. Shortly
after this, F. C. Smith retired and in 1912 Rufus W. G. Wint succeeded Franklin
Trumbauer in the venture.
The manufacture of the product has been carried on with marked success
and it bids fair to become an industry of importance. P. J. McNally is the local
representative. The plant is located at the foot of Spring Street.
DAVIES AND THOMAS COMP.VNY.
In 1865 Daniel Davies bought an old planing mill in East Catasauqua and
fitted it up as a foundry and machine shop. He had as a partner William
Thomas (no relation to the present Thomases) , and they traded under the name of
Davies and Thomas. This partnership continued for two years, when William
Thomas retired from the firm and returned to Wales, and Daniel Thomas & Son
continued the business until 1876, when Daniel Thomas died.
The works were then shut down until February, 1879, when James Thomas
bought a half interest in the business and with George Davies, the son of Daniel
Davies, formed the new firm of Davies & Thomas, and did business under a
partnership agreement until the death of George Davies on October 1st, 1894.
On December 21st, 1894, the firm of Davies & Thomas Company was organ-
ized into a charatered company, with a capital of .$100,000. The stock was
afterwards increased to $300,000.
Janies Thomas was president of the last named company until his death on
December 18th, 1906, and was succeeded as president of the company by his son
Rowland D. Thomas at the meeting of the company in January, 1907, who con-
Z
<
D.
Z
<
a.
S
o
(J
en
<
s
O
I
H
>
Q
OF CATASAUQUA 55
tinued as president of the company until November, 1911, when Leonard Peckitt
was elected to the presidency and continues in that office to the present date.
The following persons have served as directors of the company during its
lifetime as a chartered company :
James Thomas, Rowland T. Davies,
Rowland D. Thomas, George Davies,
HoPKiN Thomas, James T. Davies,
D. H. Thomas, Harey E. Grappin.
C. R. Horn,
The present Board of Directors is made up as follows :
Leonard Peckitt, President,
Rowland D. Thomas, George Davies,
HoPKiN Thomas, Harry E. Grappin.
The officers of the company are as follows :
Leonard Peckitt, President, Harry E. Grappin, Treasurer,
Charles R. Horn, Secretary.
The general agent of the company was A. R. McHenry until his death in
1898, when C. R. Horn was appointed to succeed him, and fills the position to the
present time, operating from the company's general offices in New York City,
the centre of all big work.
The Davies & Thomas Company has been a furnisher of material for all the
large contracts for underground railway and tunnel work requiring cast iron
material for their constuction in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Washing-
ton, Baltimore, etc.
For the various tunnels under the harbors of New York City, this company
furnished eighty per cent. (80%) of the cast iron material used in their con-
struction, and as these tunnels were of eight (8) different designs, it constantly
necessitated changes in the patterns for the cast iron castings used in the various
designs to meet the requirements.
The Davies & Thomas Company is considered the pioneer in the above line
of work and their ideas and plans have almost universally been adopted and
accepted by engineers constructing the same.
56 THE HISTORY
When you ride through the various tunnels connecting New York with
Jersey City, Brooklyn and Long Island City, you will pass through tunnels
whose construction material is almost entirely the product of this company.
At the present time the company is engaged on a contract for the manufac-
ture of the lining of a large sewer tunnel for the Borough of Queens, Long
Island, which work will keep the foundry very busy for an entire year.
The future of the company has a very bright outlook, as other large projects
for tunnel work are expected to materialize in the near future, of which a goodly
share no doubt will be awarded this company.
Another large activity of this company is the manufacturing of cast iron
material used in the construction of Water Gas Plants ; and since 1880, and up
to the present time, they have manufactured all the castings used, first, by A. 0.
Granger in this work, and later by the United Gas Improvement Company of
Philadelphia, Pa., in the equipment of their water and coal gas plants ; and
ninety per cent. (90%) of the water gas plants operated in the United States
show the product of the last named company. This work is continued, year in
and year out, and keeps employed at the foundry from sixty to seventy -five men
continually.
The plant, in 1876, was but a small stone foundry, employing very few men,
but its growth has been steady and continued from year to year, until at the
present time the Davies & Thomas Company have a foundry occupying over
16,000 square feet of floor space; equipped with electric and boom cranes and
four cupolas; three machine shops fully equipped; a large power plant with
boiler and engine room for the manufacture of electricity for the running of the
entire works. The plant has a capacity of two hundred tons per day of finished
eastings. They had employed over six hundred men at one time when the
foundry was running full.
The plant at the present time is under the management of Mr. Hopkin
Thomas as General Manager, who, with Leonard Peckitt, President, Harry E.
Graffin, Treasurer, and C. R. Horn, General Agent, constitute the working force
operating the plant.
OP CATASAUQilA
57
LICHIGIl CAR, WIIKRI; & AXI.K WORKS.
On or about March 1.'5, ISWI, a (.'0-par1iicrslii|i was foi-ined hy James W.
Fuller, Charles I). Fullei-, Jauics H. MeKi'e, -lanies Tiioiiias and William A.
Thomas under tiie name of iMeKee, Fuller and ('()m])any to engage in 1lie manu-
facture of ("ar Wheels. A ti-act of land was selected on the line of the (' & F.
R. R., west of tlu' Round House, hut upon fui'ther investigation it was thought
advisahle to erect the plant on the main line of llie L. V R. R., and a tract of
about eight acres of land was pui'cliased from Jacob Lazarus, which is now a {lai't
of the operations of thi' in-esent ( "ompany.
The plant oi'iginally had a capacitx' of fifteen wheels per day. The market
for the output was limited and the railroad i)eople were not anxious to try a new
LEHIGH CAR WHEEL AND AXLE WORKS
wheel which had not <lemonstrate(l a reimtation. ami Mr. Fuller in latei- years
was heard to say that were he to live his life ovei-, he would hesitate long before
he would engage in an enterprise so fraught witli danger to human life and
destruction of pi^ojierty as a possible faulty wheel.
Dn account of the limited mai'ket and the panic of 1S73-S, the returns
were small, and it was also necessary to i-cinvest the net jiroceeds in the ])urchase
of adjoining land and additional machinery. Some of the partnei's dropped orit
and ten years later James II. MeKee and James W Fuller only remained as
partners.
Thev then sti'Uggled along with varying success and disLOurage uents until
1880, when the Erie Railroad desired to pui'chase a large ipiantity of modei'u
eight wheeled cars. Inasmuch as the successful contractor was obliged to finance
the proposition by taking cai- trust debentures in ])ayment, there were few jn'o-
58 THE HISTORY
posals for the contract. Mr. Fuller undertook this immense proposition, and
finally succeeded, after long negotiations, by pledging the private fortunes of the
partners. A favorable contract was made and the firm purchased the car plant
of Frederick and Beck, which had been idle for some years, then owned by the
National Bank of Catasauqua, and at once became busy. At one time the
lumber arrived so fast that every siding was blocked with laden cars between
AUentown and Catasauqua, and for a time fifteen hundred men were employed
and FuUerton became a thriving village.
At this time Mr. Fuller telegraphed to his brother-in-law, James Thomas,
then residing in Alabama, if he would come north and re-open the Davies Foundry,
he would give him an order for the small castings, sufficient to keep the foundry
busy for one year. This offer was accepted and Mr. Thomas came north at once.
From this time on the success of the firm was assured and on February 13,
1883, William W. McKee and B. Frank Swartz were admitted to the firm. At
about the same time a forge to forge the axles was added, and the business in-
creased so fast that in the first six months of 1883 they built, complete, eighteen
hundred forty-nine eight-wheeled cars. This business amounted to $2,800,000
for the year. The capacity of the works in 1884 was sufficient to do a business
of $4,000,000 per annum.
During these years James W. Fuller's application to his business was in-
cessant, and for the first six years he was not only the Manager, but Traveling
Salesman, working generally fifteen to eighteen hours in every twenty-four. It
was nothing unusual for him to arrive from the west at East Penn Junction, and
walk home at midnight, stopping at the works to see if his watchman was on duty
and all was right at the plant.
It was this constant devotion to the business interests of the firm, and pluck
and determination that wrested success from a failing enterprise.
After the death of James H. McKee,, the interest of his several heirs was
placed on sale and acquired by the remaining members of the firm. It became a
necessity, owing to the large interests involved, so as to prevent jeopardy to the
interests of the others in case of the death of the remaining partner interested, to
incorporate the plant. A charter was obtained February 5, 1901, and the out-
OF CATASAUQUA
59
standing- interests i)ui-ehase(l, and the liusiiicss eontinued undef tiie name of "Tlie
Lehigh Car, Wlieel & AxU' Works."
Vov sonu> yeai's the linsiness has changed. Woo(h'n ears are no longer made
and tile railroads mannfaetnre their own wheels. The phint is now principally
engaged in mannfaetni'ing machinei'v for cement companies and has a large
foreign trade.
The plant comprises sixty ;icres. The railroad tracks were removed to the
eastern end of the ]dant, the old pid)lic road was vacated and new roads were
opened so as to form a continnons acreage. The comjiany maintains a reputation
as np-to-tlate in the Imsiness Avorld, and employs a large force of competent
mecluinics and workmen of high intelligence and character.
THE EAGLE BREWERY.
Herman Kostenbader and Coni'ad Schat'fer Itegan to In'ew Lager Beer at
wliat tliey called the Eagle Brewery, in 1867. In 1872 John Krentzer of Phila-
delphia hought the interest of Conrad Schatfer after which the firm was known as
THE EAGLE BREWERY
Kostenhader and Krentzer. Mr. Kreidzer died in 1876, since whicli time Mr.
Kostenbader, having bought his partnei-'s share from his estate, was in l>nsiness
for and liy himself. During the summer of 11)02, Mr. Kostenbader took his
60 THE HISTOEY
sons, August F. and Herman A., into partnership with himself, and although
the father died early in 1909, the sons continued under the firm title of H. Kosten-
bader and Sons.
The Eagle Brewery has undergone many renovations since it was founded.
A new ice house was built in 1886. After some failures of the ice crops due to
mild winters Mr. Kostenbader installed a ten ton ice machine in 1892. Artificial
ice was a novelty in those days. People almost went into ecstasy over beholding
a bouquet of beautiful roses embedded in a fifty pound block of ice, clear as
crystal. The firm also erected a new and enlarged brew house and boiler depart-
ment. During 1900, Mr. Kostenbader greatly enlarged his storage cellars and, in
order to maintain an even temperature during all seasons of the year, supplanted
the old ice machine with a machine of a capacity of fifty tons. The storage
cellars and facilities for cooling beers were again enlarged in March of 1914.
On account of repeated agitations regarding the absolute purity of the water
supplied this town, and because of the water rates which were almost prohibitive
to a plant that uses as much water as a brewery, Mr. Kostenbader determined to
dig an artesian well. It was completed in 1896. The well is two hundred
live feet deep and is fitted up with an airlift pump whose capacity is three
hundred gallons per minute. The mean temperature of the M^ater
is fifty-two degrees. Mr. Kostenbader was fortunate in striking a vein out of
which flows a soft clear and perfectly pure water.
The firm established a bottling plant during 1905. This plant, like the
brewery, is fitted up with the most improved machinery. The thought of cleanli-
ness and purity is written over every department. They who know how to use
and properly appreciate good beer say "Kostenbader." The sales of the firm
during 1913 amounted to 13,370 barrels.
THE CATASAUQUA BREWERY.
The brewery known as the Catasau(iua Brewery was established in 1867 by
Matthew Millhaupt. He had a successful but brief career. He died in 1872.
Mr. Millhaupt 's widow continued the business and Christian Stockberger served
her as brewmaster. This combination succeeded so well that after a while Mr.
Stockberger became proprietor of the brewery by winning Mrs. Millhaupt as his
OF CATARAUQUA
61
In-idc. Mr. Slocklicriici- dii'il in ISSf). 'The soiis-iii-lnw ni' I hi' widow, IIciii'V
(Ji'iscl ami l''i'li,\ Ki'llcr, iio\\' lnok clini'i^t' o[' (he lircwci-y ; Iiu1 tlicir vriiliii'e
fc'iilcd. A FrciU'liinaii, whose iiaiiu' li-adition has lori^'oHcii, hi'cwcd ale I'oi- some
luonlhs ■•uul failed.
Througii elldoi'seliieiits the propel'tv fell ildo the liallds of Well KatzillfJ'er
and i^'rank Uul/.. wlio. however, did not run the hre\\-er\'. In October, 1!)00.
IIeiir.\' h.irseh ;ind II. U. IJiee lionght the |)roi)erl\ . made some imjiroveiiients and
CATASAUQUA BREWERY
hegau to lii-ew heer. Tlie latter soon pureliased his ]i;irtner's share and eontinued
ido;;e until Xove-nilier, ]!MJ6, when the present ])ro])rietoi-, ( 'harh.^s 1j. Leliiiert,
Ijouglit the property. Mv. Lehnert is a praetical lirewer. who learnt his trade in
Germany. lie has made some wonderful improvements to the old Catasauijua
Brewery. He enlarged the hoilerdiouse and the engine room, and liuilt a liottling
house. During ]!)()!) he erected a three story b)-ew-liouse and e(piip])ed the same
with the best maciiinery obtaiiialile. He began the construction of new storage
cellars in 19i:>, Into these he has placed enameled steel tanks. The jiresent out-
put of this brewery is eight thousand barnds of beer and [lorter. llr. Lehnei't
also manufactures an excellent grade of soft drinks, and stamps his name with a
worthy pride upon all his products.
62
THE HISTORY
THK IjEHIGII pike URICK WORKS.
The Lehigh Pii'e l^rick (lotnpany was established 1868 ))y McHose and Ritter
ill a frame Iniildiiig on the present site, lietween Front St. and the Lehigh Coal &
Navigation Co. canal, and l.viiig between the P. W. Wint Co., Ltd., and Bryden
Horseshoe Co.'s plants. This l)uilding was burned down in 1872, and the stone
structure now standing was built in its place by Joshua Hunt, Samuel Thomas
and John Thomas.
LEHIGH FIRE BRICK WORKS
In 1903 the concern was re-incorporated and is now known as the Lehigh
Fire Brick Works. It is advantageously situated, having connections with the
Lehigh Valley, Central Railroad of N. J., Phila. & Reading and Lehigh & New
England Railroads.
OP CATASAUQUA 63
The concern is successfully engaged in the manufacture of all standard and
special shaped fire bricks for furnace, foundry, milling and general purposes.
L. H. McHose, son of one of the original members of the firm, Samuel
McHose, and a pioneer in the fire brick business in this part of the country, is
now president of the company.
THE CATASAUQUA DISPATCH.
Edmund Randall opened a printing office on the first floor of the Esch Build-
ing on Front Street below Mulberry Street, on September 1, 1870. Feeling en-
couraged in his venture, Mr. Randall issued a monthly advertising sheet which
he distributed throughout Catasauqua and neighboring towns. This gave rise
to the suggestion of a local newspaper which Mr. Randall at once proceeded to
publish. He called it the Catasauqua Dispatch and brought forth weekly issues.
There never was a news sheet issued in the whole vallej'^ that was so homo-
geneous in all its publications as the Catasauqua Dispatch. Its utterances were
fearless and breathed a spirit absolutely true to itself. The Dispatch championed
the cause of many public utilities, a few of which are the Pine Street Bridge, our
Greater Schools, the Municipal Water Plant, and the Old Home Week Cele-
bration.
It has always preached a high standard of morals, and, indeed, was a potent
force in moulding the thoughts and acts of young and old. It was ever ready to
shout for patriotism; and, during Memorial or Independence week, it bristled
with spicy lines that told of the deeds and lives of the great and good men of the
nation.
Mr. Randall is one of the oldest and most widely known members of the
State Editorial Association. The last number of the Dispatch from his pen is
dated Friday, April 10, 1914. In this issue Mr. Randall delivered a beautiful
and long to be remembered valedictory.
He upon whom the old editorial mantle feel is one of our own townsmen. A
gentleman, a scholar, a Christian are the general terms that most briefly describe
his character. The public can expect to read with complacency all manner of
good literature as well as spicy and up-to-date news articles in the columns of the
Dispatch, and any worthy propaganda that aims toward uplift and prosperity
64 THE HISTORY
will not only find support but manly leadership in the Dispatch. The new editor
is John S. Matchette.
BRYDBN HORSE SHOE CO.
The Bryden Horse Shoe Company was organized in 1882. Joshua Hunt was
its first president; Oliver Williams, secretary and treasurer. Horse shoes orig-
inally were manufactured here under patents of George Bryden, of Hartford,
Conn. Finished shoes, with toe and heel caulks, were made under hammers for
use principally on street car horses. About thirty men were employed for several
years and the daily product was from two and one-half to three tons. With the
passing of the street car horses, the company was obliged to seek other outlets
for its product and to do this it became necessary to increase the plant accord-
ingly. In 1888, this was accomplished and the capital stock was increased to one
hundred thousand dollars. Jacob Roberts of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., was engaged
to ecjuip the plant for the manufacture of the pattern shoes used by the general
blacksmith trade and the output was trebled.
After many years of effort and varying success, the company's product had
made a name and place for itself in the markets of the country and to-day it is
one of the largest plants of its kind in the world, producing a larger variety of
horse shoes than any other one plant. During the Boer War, 1899-1900, the
company supplied the British War Department with about a car-load of horse and
mule shoes weekly, and the authorities of that Department have continued to
place orders with the company at intervals ever since.
On the death of Oliver Williams in 1894 (who had been elected President
and Treasurer in 1884), George E. Holton, then Vice-President, was elected to the
office of President and Treasurer, T. F. Frederick continuing as Secretary and so
remaining until his death in 1909, when H. Morley Holton succeeded him as
Secretary.
The plant has grown steadily and to-day it occupies about seven acres of
ground. Its daily production is from forty to fifty tons of horse shoes. A com-
plete line of racing plates is also manufactured. The paid up capital stock has
been increased from time to time and to-day it is six hundred twenty -five thousand
dollars. About three hundred men are given steady employment in manufac-
OK CATASAUyUA
(if)
tuviug iivochietions of tlie highest standard, which are sohl not only in Nortli
AnuTioa and Great Britain hnt also in New Zealand, Australia and Sonth
America. The officers of the company are: Mrs. (ieoi-ge E, Holton, President,
Mho succeeded Mr. Holton npon his death in 1913; IT. IMorley Ilolton, Secretary
and Treasurer; Panl E. i\liller. General Manage)-.
THE W.VIINETAH SIEK COMP.VNY.
This company was chartered "to manufactnre silk fahrics" in 1890, Avhen
it l)egan to run on a prodnctiim of silk plush. The j^lush husiness, however.
WAHNETAH SILK MILL
piTjved unprofitable,, so that during 1902 this machinery was substituted for
broad silk looms.
Now the Wahnetah plant began to grow. Building was added to building
until their present erpiipment comprises seven lunidred looms and such other
66
THE HISTORY
departments as are ueeessary to pi-epare the silk received in slvein for nse on tlie
loom.
The Wahnetah Company Imys its raw silk directly from the raw silk im-
porters in New York City. Fi'oiu the importers the I'aw silk (Jajian silk) is
shipped to the throwsters (Spinning Mill). Fi'om the throwsters it is shipped to
the dye-house from which it comes in skeins to the weaving mill.
The latest improved machinery is installed throughout the ])lant, and, being
operated by competent help, produces a stock of the finest grade silks, which
finds ready sale in any market.
Whilst the Wahnetah prospers our whole town feels the pulse-beat of its
life. An average of five hundred-persons earn their daily bread here.
The first president of the Company was James Thomas, who was succeeded
at his death by William R. Thomas, Jr., the present iucumlient, who is also
general manager of the plant. Mr. Frank M. Horn has served as Secretary and
Treasurer since the organization of the Company. Mr. William M. Alford and
Sons, New York, are the managers of the sale's department.
THE DERY SILK MILL,
Ground was broken for a silk mill at Front and Race Streets in JMarch, 1897,
and building operations were undertaken forthwith. One hundred and fifty
DP CATASAUQUA 67
looms and all needed accessories were installed, and in August of the same year,
the plant was in full operation. During the summer of 1899, the capacity of the
mill was doubled by the erection of a large addition. The plant of D. G. Dery
possesses not only excellent light, the best of sanitary and ventilation arrange-
ments, but also modern improvements, looking to the health and safety of em-
ployees. The building is three hundred feet by fifty feet in dimensions, three
stories high, with auxiliary buildings attached — the whole eciuipped with the
most modern machinery. Employment is furnished to three hundred people,
whose production is mostly colored and black dress silks. The output reaches
about twenty thousand pieces per annum, finding sale in all parts of the United
States.
Mr. Dery understands fully the requirements for silk manufacture and the
best methods of supplying them.
THE CATASAUQUA BOILER WORKS.
This industry was established by Samuel McCloskey in April, 1901, in a
small shop on Front and Willow Streets.
After a successful career of two years Mr. McCloskey 's brothers, John,
William and James, came from the far west in order to join their brother in this
business.
Orders multiplied until the old shop became too small to do rapid and success-
ful work. The company, therefore, bought the site of the old Rolling Mill prop-
erty on Front Street, above Pine, where they had ample room and employed be-
tween thirty and forty men.
During 1907, the partnership was dissolved, and the place of business sold.
Messrs. John and James McCloskey went west again.
The following year Samuel started his business again at his original place,
and succeeds in doing a fine business. His shop is well equipped. Ten to fifteen
men find constant employment there.
EMANUEL & COMPANY.
Emanuel & Company with its main office at Catasauqua, Pa., organized as a
corporation January, 1904, with the following officers : — Mr. David L. Emanuel,
68 THE HISTORY
Pres., and Mr. George "W. Aubrey, Secretary and Treasurer. The chief object of
the company is to manufacture and crush blast furnace slag for roofing and
manufacture concrete work.
The first Plant was erected at Catasauqua, Pa., on the slag bank of the Crane
Iron Works. After this slag was exhausted, the Crushing Plant was removed to
the bank of the Thomas Iron Company at Hokendauqua, Pa., at which place there
is a Crusher located now. The second Crushing Plant, which has been in oper-
ation since 1911, was located at a different bank of the Crane Iron Works at
Catasauqua, Pa. Various banks were leased, and Crushing Plants erected and
operated from time to time at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and South Bethlehem, Pa.
The use of slag for concrete work being an experiment, it required a number
of years of hard work to introduce it to Architects, Contractors and Engineers,
and it was not until the last few years that it was adopted by the Architects and
Engineers for the leading manufacturing and contracting concerns in this section.
From that time on the growth of the slag business has been very remarkable, and
to-day, the two Crushing Plants operated by Emanuel & Company turn out almost
one thousand tons daily.
The present officers of the company (1913-1914) are Paul E. Miller of Cata-
sauqua, Pa., President and Treasurer, and Miles T. Bitting of AUentown, Pa.,
Secretary.
The Company sells its product all over the Middle Atlantic States, New
England States, and Southern Canada. It employs about seventy-five men the
year round, most of whom reside in Catasauqua and near-by towns.
goldsmith's planing mill.
Franklin Goldsmith is a native of Alburtis, Pa., where he served his ap-
prenticeship as a carpenter. Well qualified for the trade, he struck out into the
world and soon found his way to Catasauqua. Here he served for contractors
until 1886, when he resolved to start in business for himself. Mr. Goldsmith has
always had the reputation of doing first class work, which not only kept him very
busy, but obliged him to increase his force of men repeatedly.
In the spring of 1907, he began the erection of a large planing mill, boiler
house and lumber sheds. His equipment is complete and well nigh perfect. The
OP CATASAUQIIA
69
lUiK'liine room alone iiieasnivs iiiiu'ty hy one hundred thirty feet. There is
notliing ukkU' of MO()<i thai this pi'oi;i'essive lii'iii is not prejiared to produce.
])nrini>' 1909, IMr. Goldsiiiitli admittiMl liis son, Pi'anklin R. A., into partner-
slnp. ■•Young Fi-ank" leaiaied liis trade under his father, which together with a
course at college, has thoroughly (pialitied him for his position. The firm,
GOLDSMITH'S PLANING MILL
Franklin Goldsmith and Son, whose mill and offices are at 808-814 Race Street,
now employ an average of foi'ty men.
young's boiler compound company.
Mr. Hari'\' R. Young has been interested for many years in boiler preserva-
tion, and in the pu'otection of the lives and limbs of many men who fire boilers.
After many tests of waters and neutralizing acids b.y which solidifying sub-
stances in water are I'educed to a minimiuii, Mr. Young succeeded in producing
a boiler compound tluit rivals the best known product of its kind. lie received
his patent in 1908.
Nearly two hundred customers scattered throughout Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jer'sey, Massachusetts, Colorado, V^irginia and other States, testify to
the positive effectiveness of the Young's Compound. A quality that shows this
compound to be of superior value is that it is absolutely safe, as well as certain
70
THE HISTORY
in action ; and, if overfed to the ))oiler, it will not foam as is the ease with so
many similar prodnets.
Mr. Young associated some gentlemen with himself so as to form the Young
l>oiler Compound Company, which does husiness at 1025 Third Street.
LEICESTER RUBBER COMPANY.
The Leicester Ruh-
lier Company was in-
corporated under the
laws of the State of
New Jersey, June 10,
1910, by A. De Piano,
President ; Joseph F.
Maher, Vice Presi-
dent ; and William M.
Maher, Sec 'y. and
Ti-eas. The Company
conducted a rubber
business in the City of Trenton for almost four (4) years, when the business
developed to such an extent that it out-grew its location. In looking for a more
modern plant, they came in contact with the mill formerly occupied by the
O'Brien Rubber Thread & Webbing Company, Catasau(|ua.
In July of 1913, they purchased this mill with all its e(|uipment and removed
their present plant from Trenton to Catasau(|ua. Mr. I. Fineburg, a very promi-
nent scrap-rubber dealei' of Trenton, identified himself with the Company. After
considerable expenditure in setting up new machinery, etc., they started business
here in the month of Septeml)er, 1913, and met with instant success.
Tiiey manufacture rubber mechanical goods, door mats, baby carriage tiring,
fruit jar rings, heels ami soles and also i-eclaimed ruliber to a great extent.
At the present writing the outlook for business is very favorable, as they
have orders ahead sufficient to run their works for three or four months. Their
]ilant is very busy, employing about 2.5 people.
They ship goods to all parts of the United States, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii.
RUBBER WORKS
OP CATASAUQUA 71
THERMOMETER WORKS.
The firm of Keys Bros. & Co., manufacturers of Clinical Ther-
mometers, was organized in Catasauqua March 1st, 1911. Their present location
is 115-117 Bridge St. The manufacture of these thermometers is a new industry
in Catasau(jua, and, therefore, a few remarks about the manufacture of them
would not be amiss. The glass tubing is made in Corning, N. Y., and shipped
to them in six foot lengths, and then they cut it up to any required length. The
bulb is then blown on to this tubing and filled with mercury. This operation takes
great skill, and can only be done by experienced mechanics. After this, the
thermometers have to go through twenty different stages before they are com-
pleted.
They are sent to the large cities, and sold from there to all parts of the
world. The members of the firm learned their trade in England, and since locat-
ing in Catasauqua, received a large government order for the manufacture
of 12,000. The thermometers, which took two months to make, are now being
used in all Government Hospitals in the United States. The firm at present is
extremely busy, having contracts for the entire output each week.
THE CATASAUQUA SILK COMPANY.
The youngest Silk Company is the Catasauqua, organized November, 1911.
The original members of the firm were: James J. Seyfried, Wilson J. Smith,
Edwin J. Smith and Frank J. Schleicher.
These gentlemen purchased the beautiful two-story office building on Race
Street and the Central Railroad of New Jersey from its builder and owner, Pres-
ton H. Kratzer, and converted it into a mill.
Looms were running on broad silk by the end of December, 1911. During
1913, the plant was enlarged so that now they have floor space and auxiliary
machinery sufficient to run fifty looms.
Under the capable management of Mr. H. 0. Glase, their Superintendent, the
firm produces a good quality of silk which finds ready sale.
THE CATASAUQUA GARAGE.
Charles Wentz and Nicholas Dugan determined to establish an Automobile
repair shop and supply house at the corner of Pine and Railroad Streets, on the
eleventh of April, 1911.
72 THE HISTORY
During July of the same year, Philip R. Lynch purchased the interest of
Mr. Wentz. Since that time the co-partnership is known as "Lynch and Dugan. ' '
Both of these men are practical machinists.
Their line of work embraces general repairing of machines and supplying
parts and materials.
They store and groom cars, and also supply cars for hire.
The business prospects for these young and reliable men are very bright.
THE HEREIN6T0N FURNITURE COMPANY.
The Herrington Furniture Company was organized in March, 1911, by
F. C. Herrington and C. H. Edwards, Jr., and located its plant at 1126 Second
Street. The business of this firm is to upholster furniture and sell to the trade.
Their sales territory is chiefly the States of New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
vania. They also do repair work.
THE PEERLESS AUTO SERVICE.
The Peerless Auto Service was instituted at Railroad and Almond Streets,
North Catasauqua, in December, 1912, for the accommodation of the general
public. This service is equipped with Taxi-Cabs and Five and Seven Passenger
Cars. Careful drivers accompany each car. Dr.' H. J. S. Keim is the Proprietor,
and his name stands a sufficient guarantee of security to any one who knows the
Doctor.
CATASAUQUA MOTOR CAR WORKS.
Preston H. Kratzer, son of R. Frank Kratzer, served his apprenticeship
while still quite a young man. While in the employ of Mr. Goldsmith he conceived
the idea that he might succeed as contractor, and so launched forth some seven-
teen years ago. He enjoyed the confidence of men of affairs and secured some
valuable contracts. These he fulfilled most conscientiously. He built a large
planing mill known as the South End Planing Mill. During the fall of 1913,
Mr. Kratzer associated with himself as partner Lewis M. Jones. The latter
paid special attention to the contracting for and the erection of buildings, while
the former launched out upon a new industry known as The Catasauqua Motor
Car Works. The floors of the planing mill were cleared and machinery, con-
tributory to the construction and repairs of motor cars, introduced. There were
OP CATASAUQUA
73
expert foremen in tlie paint ami wood departments as well as in the machine shop.
A large stoi-age and exhibition ))nihlin}.;' was erected. The plant had over twenty
thousand sqnai'e feet of tioor space. All indications pointi-d toward gi'cat success,
when during the night of ]\Iarch -t, 1!)14, all hut the stoi'agc house hurnt to the
ground and ti\'(> tine maclnncs with it. This was a sevei'c blow to ii keen anil
enteri)rising husincss num. The ruins of that contlagration i-cmain undisturhed
at this tinu'.
THE CRYST.VL ICE COJIP.VNY.
Tn these modern
days of wholesome
and sanitary living,
the refrigerator seems
to play a larger part
than tlie coal bin. The
former is now in per-
ennial use. Pure ice,
much moi'e than clear
ice, is the ^'reat de-
mand. Certain gentle-
ICE PLANT men ^yitli HeiuT G.
Walker. President, AVilliam J. Montz, A'ice President, C. 0. Fuller, Secretarv'-
Treasurer, and AVilliam H. Satelle, Chief Engineer, organized the Crystal lee
Comp)any in 1013.
They purchased a property at Peach and American Streets and inunediately
began to dig an artesian well. They had a lucky find. The well is one hundred
seven feet deep, has an eight inch bore, and a capacity of 200 gallons of water
per minute. The temperature of the water is 52 degrees, Fahrenheit. Only well
water is used in the manufacture of ice in this plant and all the water is
distilled before it is frozen into ice. The capacity of the plant is forty tons of the
vej'y best ice in twenty-foui' hours. The average weight of the cakes of ice is three
hundred pounds. The Company is capitalized for twenty-five thousand dollars.
Tlie first ice was produced on Thui'sday, Api'il 30, 1914.
74
THE HISTORY
CHAPTER III.-CHURCHES.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Tht> iiistitiTtion of the First Presbyterian Church at Catasauqua was coin-
cident with the establishment of the C'rane Iron Woi'ks in 1889. Tlie general
manager of the Company, Mr. David Thomas, is the reputed founder
of the Church. Through his kindly offices, the Company donated
a triangular piece of ground — with a base of one hundred sixty-four feet,
and each leg one hundred fifty-eight feet — at the extreme limits of its
land, on a road leading from Allen Townshij) on the north to the old town of
Bethlehem on the southeast. The first building of the congregation, constructed
of boards set iipright
and shingle covered,
was located in a
woods on the south
side of the triangular
plot. Its whitewashed
walls, both inside and
out, for \\'liich a
generous supply of
slacked lime in a hogs-
head was continually
kept in a shed at the
■ji» nf flip ImilrlinO'' First Church Building In Town — First Presbyterian Church
its rough hewn benches ; its long ii-on rods passing through and through the
building near the ceiling at symmetrical distances and fastened with nuts on the
outside to enhance the stability of the wooden structure ; its swinging camphene
lamps sus])ende(l from the ceiling by slender rods passing througli small holes in
the ceiling enal>ling the lamps to be raised or lowered at will — the wonderment of
curious children ; all challenge the imagination.
OP CATASAUQUA 75
Later, at the suggestion of Mr. Thomas, the Crane Iron Company donated
sufficient land at the rear of the okl reservoir on C'hurch Street to enlarge its
triangular into a rectangular plot, with dimensions of three hundred fifty by two
hundred feet.
The history of this congregation was concisely given in an address by Samuel
Thomas, son of the founder, upon the occasion of celebrating, on September 23,
1904, the "Semi-Centennial Jubilee" of laying the corner-stone of the present
church on the north-east corner of Second and Pine Streets. The address is as
follows :
"Just fifty years ago, in the peace and calm of the early twilight of a beau-
tiful September evening, a group of Christian worshippers assembled to witness
the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the First Presbyterian Church in
whose shadow we are now standing, first in name only but not in point of
erection.
The first church was a little frame building 25 by 35 feet, built by David
Minnich, in the woods between the reservoir and what is now Mrs. John Wil-
liam's garden (now the property of Mr. J. W. Puller, Jr.), at the upper end of
Church Street, on land donated by the Crane Iron Co. The time was the last
Sunday of December 1839, cold and stormy, when the ground was covered
with snow, and brother John and I had nailed planks together to use as a plough
to open paths through the heavy fall of snow. The storm was so severe that
after the corner-stone had been laid by Rev. Landis, pastor of the AUentown
Presbyterian Church (the first English Church in Lehigh County), the little
congregation were obliged to continue the services in the home of Father Thomas,
which is still standing opposite the Crane Iron Works.
Of that little band of Presbyterian pioneers, I can find only three survivors
besides myself: Mrs. Bender (nee Peter), and Mrs. Owen Swartz, her sister, and
Mrs. Rehrig (nee Lackey), all the others having passed on to the beyond towards
which we also are hastening.
As near as my memory serves me, those present on this interesting occasion
were the following: — 'Father' and 'Mother' Thomas with their five children
(Jane, Gwenny, Samuel, John and David), Mrs. James Lackey and daughter Mag-
76 THE HISTORY
gie, John Samuels and daughter Rachel, Mrs. John Leibert, John Peter and fam-
ily, Aaron Bast, Charles Breisch, Lawrence Landis, Mrs. Jonathan Landis and
Andrew Archer. There were doubtless others, but these stand out clearest
against the past.
The little building has been demolished and the venerable black oak tree
has been removed, in whose forked branchs I, as a boy, hung the bell which called
the faithful to prayers. This bell passed into the hands of the Crane Iron Works,
by whom it was used once a month on pay-days to call the men together. It still
hangs on a branch of the tree, close to the office, where the curious may each find
it. The tree and bell were natural means to a spiritual end and though they have
passed out of use, the spirit abides for this church whose semi-centennial we cele-
brate to-day, and its great development into other churches, such as the Bridge
Street Church, the Church at Hokendauqua, the Bethel- Welsh Congregational
Church (known as 'Mother' Thomas's Church), the Churches at Lockridge,
Ferndale and Richard's Mine in New Jersey, and the Presbyterian Church at
Thomas in far-ofE Alabama.
All these Churches are living branches of the tree which was planted in faith
and hope fifty years ago on that inclement winter Sunday by a band of earnest
Presbyterian men and women. The women are worthy of special mention for
they too carried their share of the burden cheerfully and nobly. Well do I re-
member my sister Gwenny, Rachel Samuel, Maggie Lackey and Susanna Peter,
brave and helpful young girls, who carried water in pails all the way from the
canal to scrub and clean the church, and as the building was used for a
day-school during the week, every Saturday morning it required their earnest
attention.
In a recent interview with Mrs. Owen Swartz and Mrs. Rehrig, whose
personal recollections of the early times in the history of this Church are very
clear, I was reminded that Church services were held in my father's house until
the completion of the building on March 22, 1840.
This little white-washed church was used for worship until the present build-
ing was ready to-be occupied in 1856. Two years after the laying of the corner
stone, the church was dedicated, free of debts. My thoughts dwell with especial
OP CATASAUQUA 77
pleasure upon those far-off days, and tlic building oT tliose CMi-ly Walls of Zion
in our adopted home.
As I review tliose early years, I see the earnest figures of my father and
mother, wlio were strangers in a strange land, zealous from the beginning to see
a house of worship planted here. When the Church was organized it numbered
only three, father, mother and sister Jane ; and father was then ordained as first
Elder.
About two years later, David Williams, Sr., located with his family at
Catasau(|ua and he became a member of this Church ; and soon afterwards he was
inducted into the eldership. He was a most excellent man, and though in poor
health he was strenuous in all good works. It was he who took up the collection
and acted as treasurer of the Church. He died August 14, 1845, and his remains
were laid to rest in the church yard after services in the little church where he had
served so well.
As the population increased the church in the woods became too small. A
special meeting of the congregation was therefore held to discuss ways and means
for securing a new building. A committee was appointed consisting of the pastor,
Rev. Cornelius Earle, David Thomas, Morgan Emanuel, William McClelland and
Joshua Hunt.
By arrangement with David Thomas (who had donated some adjoining land
to enlarge the church property on Church Street), an exchange was made of that
land which secured to the congregation the site of 180 b\- 180 feet a1 the cornei-
of Second and Pine Streets, upon which stands to-day the present Church, the
parsonage and the Chapel. Plans having been made and adopted, sufficient funds
were raised to warrant the new enterprise.
The corner stone of the old church was brought here and deposited .iust
previous to the ceremony of laying the new corner stone. It was fashioned by
Charles Breisch and bears the date of 1839, which can be seen on examination.
It is a gray sandstone from near Kreidersville. In the new stone a copper box
was laid which, according to custom, contained a Bible, some coins, local papers,
and whatever the copper box of the old corner stone had contained. An address
was delivered by Rev. Richard Walker of AUentown, and Rev. Leslie Irwin of
Bath assisted in the services.
78
THE HISTORY
On Sunday, the 11th day of May, 1856, the church was solemnly dedicated
to the worship of God. Rev. George Duffield, D. D., preached the dedicatory
sermon. Rev. C. Barle and Rev. R. Walker taking part in the services. Rev.
Jacob Becker preached German in the afternoon.
Only a few remain who were then from twenty to thirty years of age : Mrs.
Thomas Bear, Charles Graffin, Daniel Milson, James Nevins, William Kildare,
Charles W. Schneller, Mrs. Quigg, and those who were from ten to twenty years
still among us are : Mrs. John Thomas, James Thomas, Mrs. James Thomas, Mrs.
Emma C. Williams, Rebecca Siegley, Mrs. Kate Steward, William H. Glace,
Joseph Matchette, Mrs. Herbert James, Samuel Davis, David Davis, Owen F.
Leibert, Joseph McFetridge, John McFetridge, Mrs. John Knauss, Mrs. James
Torrance, Martha Wilson, Thomas Jones, Mrs. William T. Snyder, Mrs. Edwin
Mickley, Mrs. James W. Fuller, and Archibald Courtney. ' '
The present Church edifice is
built of brick, semi-Gothic in style.
The main building is forty by sixty-
three feet, exclusive of tower and
pulpit recess. It has a transept on
the south side twenty by thirty feet
which forms part of the audience
room, and also an organ transept
on the north side, ten by twenty
feet. The organ was the gift of
David Thomas. The Church steeple
is one hundred fifty feet high and
has a fine-toned bell in it. The
congregation was regularly incor-
porated in 1853.
As commemorative of the re-
union of the Old School and the
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ^^^ g^j^^^l Assemblies of the
Presbyterian Church, a memorial chapel was built on Pine Street, at the rear of
OP CATASAUQUA
79
the edifice, in 1871. The corner stone was laid May 13th, and the dedication took
place on December 10th. This building is also of brick, semi-Gothic in style,
thirty-five by eighty-two feet. It contains rooms for all Church purposes; and
it is used regularh- for mid-week services and by the Sabbath School..
FortA' feet northwest of the church, fronting on Second Street, there
is an attractive and well planned parsonage, built of brick, in style corresponding
with the church.
Rev. Cornelius Barle served the congregation as pastor in a most satisfactory
and efficient manner from October 14, 1852 to 1898, when he resigned, after a
continuous service of forty-six years. During the year 1899, the regular services
were conducted by other licensed Presbyterian clergymen.
Rev. Charles H. Miller was elected as the ^r- — -r— —
successor of Rev. Earle, and he has served the '
congregation in a most efficient manner since
February, 1900. The membership of the
Church on May 1, 1914, was two hundred
thirty-five; of the Sunday School, three hun-
dred.
A Sunday School has been conducted in
connection with the Church from the begin-
ning, and the superintendents have been
prominently identified with the Church as
Elders :
David Thomas, 1839 to 1847 ; Elder from
1839 to 1882.
Joshua Hunt, 1847 to 1882 ; Elder from
1847 to 1886.
John Williams, 1882 to 1892 ; Elder from 1874 to 1892.
Joseph Matchette, 1892 to—; Elder from 1892 to—.
IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
George Eliot tells us how, with a single drop of ink for a mirror, the
Egyptian sorcerer undertakes to reveal to any chance comer far reaching visions
REV. C. H. MILLER
80 THE HISTORY
of the past. With similar drop of ink, the historian will endeavor to reveal some
visions of the past — ^the beginnings of an institution which has been wielding
much good in the Iron Borough and which to-day stands as one of its beloved
monuments — ^the Immanuel Evangelical Church.
The story of its beginning, like the beginning of every Church, is interesting.
"Way back in the early forties, a few brave and devoted families, realizing the need
of a Church in this community, formed themselves into a class and conducted
religious services in the homes of Henry Enock, Abram Yundt, Silas Yundt,
William Neighly and others, some of Catasauqua's early residents. The Rev-
erends C. Hesser, J. C. Parnsworth, C. Hummel, J. Kramer, D. Wieand, E.
Bast, Abraham Schultz, J. Hoffman and others nobly served as the first preachers.
Under the preaching of these now sainted gentlemen, the class grew in religious
fervor and zeal, as well as in numbers.
A church edifice was found necessary and yet the class was unable to under-
take its erection alone. An appeal was made to the public generally for help.
A subscription book, headed "Catasauqua, May 18, 1848, AN APPEAL TO THE
FRIENDS OP RELIGION," and, among other things, setting forth, on its first
page, that the Evangelical Association of Catasauqua is in great need of a house
of worahip and that the Society is small and unable to undertake the building
alone, was circulated. Prom the subscriptions appearing in this book, there seems
to have been a generous response to the appeal. The book contains the sub-
scriptions of Joseph Yundt, Valentine Knoll, Matchis Knoll, Enoch Yundt, Wil-
liam Neighly, Charles G. Schneller, David Thomas, Mrs. David Thomas, Owen
Rice, James Lacky, Nathan Pegly, Mariah Mclntire, Jonathan Snyder, Henry
Yundt, Charles Brish, Joseph Huber, W. Weaver, Charles Dyely, Samuel Romig.
Lewis Bogge, Martin Simon, Jesse Brown, John Peter, David A. Protzman,
Samuel Walters, Isaac Larash, Charles Seem, Daniel Seem, Jacob L. Miller,
Julius A. Miller, Samuel Colver, William Gross, Jacob Gross, Andrew Kromer,
Samuel Miller, Samuel Glace, Morgan Emanuel, William Phillips, William Heller,
William Newhard, Reuben L. Seip, George W. Andre, John Williams, Henry Get^,
Conrad Seig, Nathan Prederiek, Fisher Hazard, Owen Swartz, Jonas Biery,
Mrs. Matilda Andreas, William Swartz, Joshua Hunt, Jr., John Thomas, James
OP CATASAUQUA 81
M. Snyder, Joseph Laubach, Reuben Leisering, Owen Frederick, J. W. Fuller,
Frederick Eberhard, Charles Sigley, Jacob Deily and many others.
In the same year, namely 1848, the first church (or meeting house as it was
then called) was built on the triangular lot or piece of ground situate on Hower-
town Road below Mulberry Street. The building was a small, plain brick struc-
ture, with the Church cemetery adjoining. In those days it required much
courage to be an Evangelical. But the few members were intensely in earnest.
They consecrated and devoted themselves to the work, and like the early Apostolic
Church, "they found favor with God and the people," and from year to year
members were added to the flock. Reverends H. Bucks and N. McLehn served
the new Church as senior and junior pastors, respectively. They were lovable
Christian gentlemen of ability and tact and under their pastorate the new born
congregation began to develop into a mighty power.
The late Charles G. Schneller, deceased, was the Secretary of the first
Official Board and was actively identified with Immanuel Evangelical Church up
to the time of his death, July 13, 1909. In 1854, Charles G. Schneller was elected
class leader and was given his Class Book by Rev. Christian Meyers, the preacher
then in charge. His Class Book shows the following to hav! been members of his
class: Charles G. Schneller, Mary Schneller, William Velich, Sarah Velich, Refina
Buchman, Julian Buchman, Aaron Bast, Catharine Bast, Elizabeth Weber,
Jacob Rothman, Wilhelmina Mohry, Amos Bachman, George W. Andrew, David
Tombler, Fyetta Tombler, Charles Uonecker, Aaron Fretz, Sarah Fretz, Jacob
Frey, Caroline Tombler, Edward Gilbert, Anthony Kindt, Calvin Bleam, Jacob
Fretz, Elizabeth Fretz, Elizabeth Velich, Hannah Velich, Caroline Boyer, Ellen
Buchman, Joseph Fry, Levina Simon, Mary Ann Mohrey, Polly Hahn, William
Neighly, Sarah Neighly, Julian Haines, Stephen Hahn, David Shafer, Matilda
Shafer, George Hoxworth, Aaron Fatzinger, Amaline Fatzinger, William Bach-
man, Henry Sellers, Catharine Sellers, John Tombler, Jacob Keller, Sarah Keller,
Joseph Hixon, Mary Hixon, Michael Rothrock, Elizabeth Rothrock, John Weibel,
Mary Weibel, Sebilla Kester, Owen Wentz, B. Swartz, Catharine Laub, Amanda
Rothrock and Samuel Missimer.
In twenty years the congregation had grown very large and the old
82
THE HISTORY
church building was found entirely too small to accommodate properly the
crowds of people who attended the services. In consequence the old church prop-
erty was abandoned in 1868, and in that year the present commodious brick edi-
fice was erected at Second and Walnut Streets, at a cost of twelve thousand
dollars ($12,000), under the pastorate of Eev. J. C. Lehr, which, too, has been
remodeled and beautified several times since then. The members of the building
committee were Owen Swartz, President ; Charles G. Schneller, Secretary ; William
Michael, Aaron Glick and David Tombler. Here, likewise, the work prospered
under the signal blessing of God.
The famous Rev.
Moses Dissinger was
pastor here. The
present senior bishop
of the Evangelical
Association, Bishop
Thomas Bowman, Pre-
siding Elders B. P.
Bohner and T. L.
Wentz also served as
pastors of Iramanuel
Evangelical Church. immanuel evangelical
The regular Church attendance had reached upwards of eight hundred (800) and
the work was growing beautifully when alas! factional disagreements arose
within the Church and the unfortunate disruption took place in 1891, and
many of the members withdrew their membership and joined the St. John's
United Evangelical Church at Walnut and Limestone Streets, whereby Immanuel
suffered and has not yet been able to regain its former power.
In 1904, the present modernly equipped parsonage was built at a cost of three
thousand ($3,000) dollars. The building committee were : Rev. J. Willet Boyer,
pastor, Charles G. Schneller, Christian Garbian, M. Thomas Heilman, Richard 0.
Heilman, Robert Demmrich and William F. Engler.
The Church has always been opposed to Church fairs, festivals and lotteries,
OP CATASAUQUA 8:!
and recommends the employment of other means for raising funds for its support.
On January 1, 1890, the Ladies Aid Society of Immanuel Evangelical Church
was organized and it has since its organization been a great blessing to the
Church.
On December 20, 1891, the members of the Church organized the Young
People 's Alliance and it has enjoyed a very busy and useful career.
On the evening of September 23, 1904, there assembled in the prayermeeting
room of the church a number of its good women, who had become interested in
missionary work, and organized themselves into the Women's Missionary Society
for the purpose of systematically studying and handling the mission work, and
much practical good has it been able to accomplish.
A Junior Young People's Alliance is also one of the active departments of
the Church work.
And last, but not least, the Sunday School,
which has always been the live feed wire of
the Church, is doing its great work continually
ever since the organization of the Church.
The following is the roll of the preachers
who served Immanuel Evangelical Church :
Reverends H. Bucks, N. McLehn, J. Eckert,
M. Sindlinger, C. Hummel, N. Goebel, Jacob
Gross, Christian Meyers, Elias Miller, George
Knerr, T. Seabold, W. Bachman, W. L. Reber,
Moses Dissinger, G. T. Haines, A. Boetzel,
Thomas Bowman, Isaac Hess, C. K. Fehr, R.
Litzenberger, John Schell, John Koehl, J. 0.
Lehr, C. B. Pliehr, George Knerr, Jacob Adams, Seneca Breyfogel, R. M. Lichten-
walner, B. P. Bohner, H. J. Glick, Thomas L. Wentz, J. K. Seyfried, W. A. Leo-
pold, C. V. B. Aurand, Joseph Specht, C. K. Pehr, J. C. Bliem, A. S. Kresge, C. C.
Moyer, J. Willet Boyer, A. H. Doerstler, Henry Wentz, and J. G. Swengel, the
present pastor.
J. G. SWENGEL
84 THE HISTOR'S
The present Board of Trustees and Stewards are William F. Engler, Presi-
dent; M. Thomas Heilman, Secretary; Harrison E. Missmer, Treasurer; Charles
George and Oliver Graver.
The Church has had on its roll the names of many of the most prominent
business men of Catasauqua, and many of them have already crossed over into the
Great Beyond. To think of the many who have worshipped in Immanuel Evan-
gelical Church in the past and are no more, to recollect their names and reflect
upon their noble characters, and to recall their many Christian kindnesses, all
cause one to cry out in tearful anguish, —
" Oh ! where are the flowers of yesterday ?
The winds have blown them all away. ' '
BRIDGE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
It is often found a difficult task to discern the very first points in important
events that are of recent occurrence, but the difficulty is greatly increased when
we attempt to learn the beginning of events that date back more than half a
century. On careful investigation it has been ascertained from trustworthy rec-
ords, that the early history of what is now known as the Bridge Street Presby-
terian Church is intimately associated with that of the venerable Presbyterian
Church in the nearby Allen Township.
The present location in earlier times constituted a part of Northampton
County, to which place were attracted a large and excellent class of immigrants
from Wales, and from the North of Ireland, by the then bright prospects of ob-
taining useful and remunerative employment at the furnaces of the Crane Iron
Company.
The people who came from the last named country desired to be recognized
and distinguished in the land of their adoption, as had been their ancestors for
several generations, under the designation of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. By
this particular name they, and the immense numbers who previously and subse-
quently came from the Province of Ulster, in the north of Ireland, with their
numerous descendants, are to be known ; while at the same time they constitute
a valuable and component part of our great American nationality.
OF CATASAUQUA 85
They, therefore, naturally and properly desired to enjoy in their new
Catasauqua home religious advantages of the same character and order with which
they had been so happily familiar in their native Presbyterian Ulster. "With such
principles and feelings they welcomed the glad prospect of having Christian
fellowship with their new and their near neighbors, the descendants of their
countrymen, the thrifty and friendly farmers of the rich and prosperous ' ' Scotch
Irish Settlement," the nearest point of which was but four or five miles distant
from the Company's furnaces. This strong feeling of affiliation was tenderly
fostered by the then beloved pastor of the Mother Church, the Rev. Leslie Irwin.
He, too, was a native of the north of Ireland. He came to America in 1834, and
in the following year visited the "Settlement," as it was usually called. For a
time he was the Stated Supply, and afterwards the settled pastor of the ' ' Allen
Township Church. ' ' Records show that previous to 1845 Mr. Erwin had visited
and preached to the New Scotch-Irish Settlement on the Lehigh. These visits and
religious services were kept up with regularity for several years, notwithstanding
that a distance of eight or nine miles separated the residence- of the faithful
pastor from his new missionary field. In time there arose a desire to have a
regular and separate church organization in their midst. In furtherance of this
laudable object, a petition, numerously signed, was presented to the Presbytery of
Newton, April 26, 1850, in compliance with which a committee was appointed to
visit the place, and take such action as the circumstances might seem to require.
That committee met at the time and place appointed, and subsequently reported
to Presbytery that on May 7, 1850, the First Old School Presbyterian Church of
Catasauqua had been duly organized ; on which occasion thirty-two members were
enrolled. James McClelland was elected and ordained to the office of Ruling
Elder. The Church continued under the above title until the reunion in 1870,
when the Old School and the New School united under the name of The Presby-
terian Church in the U. S. A., at which time the pastor. Rev. Wm. Fulton, gave to
the congregation the name Bridge Street Presbyterian Church. The young
Church increased rapidly in numbers and in spiritual strength. In all those
years there was no public hall or other building where the people could assemble
for their accustomed worship. The cimcumstances of their situation necessitated
86
THE HISTOE'S
their meetings to be held in private houses in the winter season. In the summer
time they resorted to the nearby woods, and there extemporized a temple in which
they praised and prayed and preached and heard the word of God with gladness.
On Sabbaths, when no services
were held in Catasauqua, or in the
adjoining woods, many people
walked out to the country Church,
the other part of Mr. Irwin's pas-
toral charge, about six miles dis-
tant, to worship with the Christian
brethren in the Settlement. These
discomforts of distance and travel, J,,, ,'^'
together with the increasing num- I*,. \
bers and resources and Christian
zeal, suggested the necessity of
making an earnest and united ef-
fort to provide suitable accommo-
dations at home. In carrying out
this good purpose, a plain Union
Church building (there is no reason
to believe that this was a Presby-
terian Church) was erected and
located on what for that reason was
then and is now known as Church
Street. That, however, did not
seem to give the desired satisfaction bridge street Presbyterian church
and accommodation for any length of time. In the lapse of a few years the in-
crease of population and of the Church, and other causes made it necessary that
there should be a separate and independent Church edifice. Under these cir-
cumstances, the congregation contributed liberally for the erection of their own
and first Church building, which in 1852 was erected upon the site which is still
occupied for the purpose, on Bridge Street. In the same year, or very soon
OP CATASAUQUA 87
afterwards, Mr. Irwin succeeded in having erected, on the adjoining lot, the
present suitable and substantial parsonage, into which when completed, he
moved his family. After a residence of about six years in the Catasauqua
parsonage, Mr. Irwin removed to his farm near Bath, but continued to supply
both Churches until the spring of 1865, when, at his own request, the pastoral
relation of fifteen years' duration was dissolved. The Catasauqua Church, in
the last year of his ministry, reported to Presbytery one hundred five members
on its roll. Mr. Irwin was held in highest esteem by all who knew him. He died
November 26, 1873, in the sixty-eighth year of his age.
Mr. Irwin was succeeded almost immediately after his resignation
by the Rev. James Tewers, who accepted the call of the Church and was installed
in September, 1865. The ministerial services of Mr. Tewers continued for but
three years. His successful pastorate was seen in the gratifying increase of
Church members, and in the orderly and godly lives of those who had the priv-
ilege of hearing the gospel of the grace of God preached by a man who felt in his
own heart the power of saving truth. The necessity for a larger and a more sub-
stantial edifice now became apparent. The new church on the old site was com-
pleted during the pastorate of Mr. Tewers. The burden of rebuilding lay
heavily upon Mr. Tewers' heart and affected his health to such an extent that he
gradually sank to his death, August 24, 1868.
In December, these people called their third pastor. Rev. Wm. Fulton, who
was duly installed over a united and enthusiastic congregation. The seven years
of this pastorate were eventful times in the history of the Church. Large and
interested audiences attended on all the Church services, for Mr. Pulton was a
strong preacher and a successful pastor. A heavy debt of over seven thousand
dollars had remained on the Church property from the time of its erection. The
burden seemed to become heavier as the years rolled by, and at times it threatened
the most disastrous results. Notwithstanding many discouragements, Mr. Pulton
accomplished a good work in building up the character and stability of the Bridge
Street Church, as well as in securing a reduction of well nigh five thousand dol-
lars on the debt. In June, 1893, Mr. Pulton made a lecturing tour west and while
crossing the prairie in a coach between Bur Oaks and Albim, Kansas, he received
THE HISTOR'S
an electric shock during a severe storm, from the effects of which he died at
Albim, July 9. His mortal remains were brought by his son to the cemetery at
Catasauqua and laid to rest beside those of his beloved wife.
Rev. David Harbison succeeded Mr. Fulton and was installed pastor on
May 2, 1876. This pastorate continued uninterruptedly, until the close of
November, 1901 — a period of twenty-five years — when Mr. Harbison moved with
his family to College Hill, Easton, having retired from the active ministry,
"Willing and ready to retire to the calm repose of the coming hours of a long life
and a long pastorate and there await the solemn and the joyful call 'enter into the
joys of your Lord.' "
Rev. B. Hammond was called to
the pastorate at a congregational
meeting held Friday evening, May
23, 1902, and was duly installed
Thursday evening, July 17, 1902.
Mr. Hammond served the congrega-
tion seven years, when, after a short
illness, he died February 11, 1909.
During his pastorate over one hun-
dred fifty persons were added to
the membership of the Church.
The property was greatly improved
and an Estey pipe organ was in-
stalled in the church. At the time
of his death the membership was
two hundred thirty; and the total
indebtedness, two hundred dollars.
The present pastor. Rev. H. W.
Bwig, was called by the congrega-
tion on Friday evening, September
3, 1909, at which service Rev. C. H.
Miller of the First Presbyterian Church presided. Rev. Dr. A. J.
Weisley of Trenton preached the sermon. Rev. Plato T. Jones of
REV. H. W. EWIG
OP CATASAUQUA 89
Easton delivered the charge to the pastor and Rev. L. B. Crane of Easton
delivered the charge to the people. During the present pastorate seventy-five
persons have been received into the Church membership, and the benevolent
contributions have increased about sixteen per cent, over the preceding five years.
The comfort of the congregation has been greatly added to by the installation of a
steam heating plant, and the Church grounds and parsonage are in first class
condition. In secular education a good record has been made by the members.
Almost, if not altogether, twenty-five of them have taught school and the per-
centage of Normal School graduates is the highest in the Borough.
ST. Paul's evangelical Lutheran church.
During the winter of 1851 and '52, it became apparent that there was a
sufficient number of Lutherans ready to found a congregation; whereupon, in
union with their German Reformed brethren, they resolved to build a church.
The Lutheran members of the committee charged with the work consisted of
Messrs. George Breinig, Samuel Koehler and Charles "Wolf.
The site on which the Union Church was erected is the one still occupied
by St. Paul's Church. It contains one acre of ground, purchased May 18, 1852,
by Samuel Colver (Lutheran) and William Biery (Reformed) trustees, of St.
Paul's Union Church, from Mr. Henry Kurtz and wife Lydia, for the sum of
three hundred dollars. The document was witnessed by George Frederick, Sr.,
and George Breinig.
The corner stone of the new Church was laid July 4, 1852, by the pastors, the
Rev. Jeremiah Schindel and the Rev. Dr. Jacob Becker and son Rev. Cyrus
Becker. The mason in charge was Mr. Charles Siegly.
The new church was solemnly consecrated on Christmas Day, 1852. The
first vestry was composed of Rev. Jeremiah Schindel, President ; Messrs. George
Breinig and George Frederick, Elders ; and Messrs. Jonathan Snyder and Reuben
Patterson, Deacons.
In the fall of 1853 Pastor Schindel resigned this Church in order to devote
more of his time to the other congregations of his large parish, and the Rev. Wil-
liam Rath, his assistant, succeeded him.
90
THE HISTOR"?
The first communion record, made by Eev. Rath, contains sixty-eight names.
Pastor Rath preached his farewell sermon, July 7, 1861. The Rev. Dr. F. J. F.
Schantz was elected June 13, 1861, and began his labors on July 21, and now
introduced services also in the English language. The congregation also observed
all festival days of the Church year.
ST. PAUL'S EV. LUTHERAN OLD CHURCH
On August 13, 1865, a pipe organ, built by Mr. Hanzleman of Allentown, Pa.,
at a cost of eleven hundred dollars, was consecrated with appropriate services.
Having received a unanimous call to Myerstown, Pa., Dr. Schantz resigned,
August 11, 1866.
OF CATASAUQUA 91
During the interim, the Rev. Carl Schlenker supplied the congregation with
German services, and Rev. Prof. E. F. Koons of Muhlenberg College, with English
preaching.
The Rev. Jacob D. Schindel, D. D., was elected March 10, 1867, and entered
the service of the congregation, June 1st. The new pastor was greeted by certain
contentions at the very threshold of his pastorate. Although there was a definite
understanding between the two congregations as to the part ownership and use
of the Union Church, services conflicting with each other 's rights were frequently
arranged for. Sectarian elements also crept into the Union Sunday School. This
naturally caused contentions that ultimately led to a separation. The Lutherans
retained possession of the Church property, paid the Reformed three thousand
six hundred dollars for their half-interest, and assumed the debt resting on the
Church, amounting March 1, 1868, to four thousand dollars, not counting the in-
terest.
A constitution, placing the congregation on a proper doctrinal basis, and
bringing the same into correct synodical relations, was adopted May 14, 1868 ; and
on January 1, 1871, a resolution to incorporate the Church was passed. Legal
proceedings were instituted against this, but objections were finally withdrawn in
open court and the charter granted.
In the spring of 1872, efforts were made to remove the dead buried
on the lot adjoining the Church building. No burials had been allowed there
since the property came entirely into the possession of the Lutheran congregation.
The last bodies were exhumed in the fall of 1873. In view of the congregation
having stopped burials on the church lot, Mr. James W. Fuller, Sr., and wife,
Clarissa, presented the congregation with four full lots in Pairview cemetery for
the burial of unclaimed bodies, and the remains of the deceased poor whom the
congregation interred.
According {to a unanimous resolution, morning and evening services
were required of the pastor on each Lord's Day, which interfered seriously with
Pastor Schindel 's services in his country congregations. On this account, but
chiefly because of a bitter factional strife between the German and certain English
elements in the Church, the pastor presented his resignation to the Council, Nov.
12, 1872.
92
THE HISTORY
The language contention resulted in the withdrawal of about twenty-five
persons from the Church. These people founded the Holy Trinity English Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church in the spring of 1873.
ST. PAUL'S EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH
The people still remaining in St. Paul's Church now strongly urged Pastor
Schindel to withdraw his resignation, which he promptly did, with the promise,
that he would remain until the congregation was able to support its own pastor.
In the spring of 1879 Mr. William Roesch, through the solicitude of Philip
Storm, whose liberality to his Church was proverbial, purchased a bell to take
OF CATASAUQUA 9;!
the place of the broken one in the tower. After having been in use for about
eighteen months, the new bell broke, whereupon Mr. Roeseh bought another which
is still in use.
For nearly a decade, the congregation had no debts nor any new enterprise
to engage its energy and occupy its attention. It was very clear however that for
better Sunday School accommodations some building operations must be begun.
On May 24, 1887, a resolution to build a new church was adopted, and the
following building committee appointed : Messrs. Simon Breinig, Frederick Bber-
hard, John L. Witt, Cain Semmel, Samuel M. Snyder, Uriah F. Koehler and
Tilghman F. Frederick.
The last service in the old church was held on June 12, the mason work of
the new church was begun July 2, and on the 7th of August the corner stone laid.
The old corner stone, laid in the old church, July 4, 1852, was now planted into
the north-eastern corner of the new building. The pastor who laid the new stone
was a son of the pastor who laid the first corner stone.
The cost of the new church was a trifle over fourteen thousand dollars.
The Second Conference of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania, predecessor of
the AUentown Conference, added to Mickley's and Coplay congregations of
Pastor Schindel the Egypt and Laury 's Churches, to form a parish. The latter two
congregations issued a unaimous call to Pastor Schindel, February 7, 1888. Rev.
Schindel accepted this call, and so resigned St. Paul's Church February 8. On
April 1, 1888, his labors in St. Paul's Church ceased.
Through the zeal of Mr. F. F. Frederick the flag-stone pavements along
Howertown Avenue and around the church were laid, and the iron fence erected
during 1888.
The Rev. Joseph W. Mayne was unanimously elected pastor on June 8, 1888,
and having accepted the call, entered upon his labors here during July. The
new church having now been completed, consecration services were held August
5, 1888.
Donations to the new church were made as follows : The pulpit by Mrs. C.
Breinig and son ; four chancel chairs by Mrs. Mary Alice Steward ; a table by Mrs.
Jeanette Frederick; Baptismal Font by S. S. Class No. 14, taught by Miss
94 THE HISTORY
Mary L. Beitel ; and the Lecturn by Mrs. Mary J. Frederick in memory of her
departed children, Edith L. and George T.
A special meeting of the congregation was held Sept. 15, 1890, at which
Pastor Mayne proposed, ' ' That in order to secure a permanent home, the congre-
gation borrow the necessary money and build a parsonage, and he will obligate
himself to pay the interest until such time as the congregation shall see fit to pay
for the building. ' '
The proposition was adopted unanimously, and the price of the building
limited to thirty-five hundred dollars. The building committee consisted of
Messrs. William A. Heckenberger, James Dilcher and James C. Beitel. It was
finished by the spring of 1891 at a cost of four thousand two hundred sixteen
dollars. Pastor Mayne resigned on March 27, 1892, and preached his farewell
sermon May 8, 1892.
Rev. James F. Lambert preached for the congregation on the 22nd of May,
1892, and was elected pastor on the 29th of May. The call was extended on June
9 and installation services held July 10. After a thorough revision of the roll,
524 names were found in good standing.
On November 13, 1894, the congregation received a bequest from the late
Mrs. Amelia Faust of two hundred fifty dollars which, minus the inheritance tax,
netted two hundred thirty-eight dollars. Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Broadbeck pre-
sented the congregation December, 1895, with two beautiful white and gold hymn
boards in memory of their deceased children, Ralph C. and Minnie L., who fol-
lowed each other closely in death by scarlet fever, June 24, and July 11, 1894.
The boards were replaced later by marble tablets beautifully wrought.
The Kirchen-Buch, published by authority of the General Council, was adopt-
ed Jan. 1, 1896. The monthly system of envelopes, as a means of raising funds,
was adopted Jan. 1, 1901.
At the congregational meeting Jan. 1, 1902, it was resolved unanimously to
observe the Golden Jubilee of the congregation with appropriate services during
the week beginning June 29, 1 902. An interesting history of the Church, Sunday
School, and all of the Church Societies was written by the pastor as a memorial
of the occasion.
OF CATASAUQUA 95
The congregation resolved, Aug. 9, 1902, to remove the four turrets on the
tower of the church and build a spire crowned with a gilt cross. January 1,
1903, the pastor's salary was increased and the request made that he discontinue
his services in St. John's Church at Pullerton, Pa., where he preached for over
nine years.
After extensive improvements reconsecration services were held February 7,
1904. The unveiling of an oilpainting portraying the Ascension of Christ, by the
Misses Marie and Helen Kostenbader, in memory of Carl Immanuel, the youngest
child of the family, was an impressive feature. The painting is the gift of Mr. H.
Kostenbader and family. This picture was remounted in the enlarged church by
Messrs. August F. and Herman A. Kostenbader. Other memorials and gifts are :
Altar Crossby Mrs. Sarah C. Steitz in memory of her husband Henry G. and her
children; a Missel Stand and Bible by Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Heckenberger in
memory of their sons Clarence Dech and Ralph Heller ; Vases by Mr. and Mrs.
F. Goldsmith's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Dieter. A number of ladies furnished
altar vestments, and the F. W. Wint Lumber Co. presented solid walnut
pedestals.
In July, 1905, the congregation was declared free of debt and a mortgage of
fifteen years' standing was burned. On Jan. 1, 1909, on motion of Mr. T. F.
Frederick, the congregation resolved to provide larger accommodations for her
fully graded Sunday School. Plans prepared by Mr. A. H. Leh of So. Bethlehem
were adopted April 15, and a building committee consisted of Messrs. H. Kosten-
bader, W. J. Smith, F. Goldsmith, R. Frank Kratzer, J. J. Seyfried, J. H. Witt
and C. S. Wonderly. The building committee served as contractor and Mr. F.
Goldsmith as foreman in the work.
The corner stone was laid August 15, 1909, by the pastor, assisted by Rev.
Jeremiah Schindel, the grandson of Pastor Schindel, the founder of the Church.
A four thousand dollar pipe organ, built by Mr. C. F. Durner and Son at Quaker-
town, Pa., was placed into the added part of the church.
The dimensions of the original church were seventy -two by forty -five feet and
of the addition seventy by thirty-eight feet, giving the edifice a cruciform shape.
The total cost of the improvements amounted to twenty-five thousand dollars.
96 THE HISTORY
nearly half of which is paid. The terazza floor and steps in the chancel were the
munificent gift of the late Mr. H. Kostenbader. An eagle lecturn, and a marble
tablet properly inscribed are the gift of Mr. William H. Glace, Esq., in memory of
his father, Mr. Samuel Glace, a devout elder of the Church. Windows were pre-
sented : ' ' Clinging to the Cross ' ' by Mr. J. C. Beitel and family ; " I am the Vine ' '
by Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Laubach in memory of Mrs. Sarah Deily ; ' ' Knocking at the
Door" by Mrs. Flora A. E. Heckenberger, wife and children; "Gathering into the
Fold" by Mrs. Mary J. Frederick and family in memory of Mr. T. F. Frederick;
"Virgin Mother and Child" by Mr. H. Seltmann and family; and "Christ in
Gethsemane ' ' by Mr. Franklin Goldsmith and family. The pastor 's stalls are the
gift of Mrs. Mary A. Steward and family in memory of Mr. Henry A. Steward.
The baptismal font is the gift of the Misses Charlotte and Cecilia Kostenbader.
The Vestry resolved unanimously, April 27, 1910 : "That the pastor be authorized
to wear the Clerical Robe" and Mrs. Sarah C. Broadbeck and Mr. Charles T.
Dilcher procured a beautiful garment.
Consecration services were held July 17-22, 1910, in which a number of
Lutheran pastors, and all the Clergy of town took part.
Through the liberality of Mrs. Matilda Kostenbader and the handiwork of
Mrs. Ida S. Solt, choir vestments were procured during the summer of 1911.
The Choir Stalls are the gift of the Choir.
St. Paul's congregation now numbers nine hundred forty- two members in
good standing.
SALEM REFORMED CHURCH.
The Reformed people of Catasauqua, who lived at the time when the
place was known as Biery 's-Port, worshipped either at Schoenersville or Hower-
town. Feeling that to attend divine service nearer home would afford much com-
fort and ease, yet loving the Church of their fathers, they were granted the use
of the Presbyterian chapel, on such days or hours when the Presbyterians had no
service ; and thus they held periodic services here from 1848 to 1852, under the
pastorate of Rev. Jacob C. Becker, their pastor at Schoenersville and Howertown
Churches. We must not omit to notice here that much credit is due Mr. Nicholas
OP CATASAUQUA
97
Balliet for bringing the Church interest of the Reformed people into such definite
shape. He was a zealous laborer in the cause of the Christian religion, and a de-
voted member of the Reformed Church.
After some time an organization was effected by the pastor, Rev. J. C. Becker,
and a movement set on foot to build a church, but its nierabership being only
about one hundred, he covenanted with the Lutheran people, who started about
the same time under the pastoral charge of Rev. Jeremiah Schindel, and they
agreed to buy a lot and built on it
jointly ; consequently, a committee was
appointed by the two congregations, con-
sisting of Messrs. George Breinig, Samuel
Koehler, Charles Xolf (Lutheran), and
Mr. Solomon Biery (Reformed). The
site on which the union church was
erected is the one still occupied by the St.
Paul's Lutheran Church on Howertown
Avenue. The corner stone of the new
church was laid on the 4th of July, 1852.
at ten A. M. by Rev. Jeremiah Schindel
and Rev. J. C. Becker and son Cyrus J.
Becker. Rev. Schindel preached the ser-
SALEM REFORMED CHURCH ^^^^ q^ Christmas Day, 1852, the new
church was dedicated to the service of the Triune God. The ministers taking part
in the services were Rev. Jeremiah Schindel, Rev. J. C. Becker, Dr. Hoffenditz,
Rev. Apple, Rev. Jos. Yeager and Rev. William Rath.
The union of the Reformed and the Lutheran congregations lasted till the
year 1868, when the Reformed congregation made an overture to the Lutherans to
buy or sell. The Lutherans accepted the offer and bought out the Reformed
in March of the same year, the consideration having been thirty-six hundred
dollars. The Reformed people then built a church for themselves on a lot donated
by Mr. Joseph Laubach on the corner of Third and Walnut Streets. The corner-
98 THE HISTORY
stone was laid in April, 1869, and the church was dedicated in the fall of the
same year. This congregation was known as the First Reformed Church of
Catasauqua. Meanwhile the Reformed congregation, under the pastorate of
Rev. Cyrus J. Becker, who had succeeded his father, the Rev. J. C. Becker, wor-
shipped in the Bridge Street Presbyterian Church and also conducted a Sunday
School in the same place. Dissensions arose very soon in the congregation.
Rev. Becker, who also was the pastor of the Schoenersville and Howertown
congregations, having been requested to resign those congregations and become
the pastor of the congregation in Catasauqua alone. Rev. Becker refused
the proposition and resigned as pastor of the First Reformed Church
in 1870. This resignation was confirmed by the Bast Pennsylvania Classis
at their annual meeting at Kutztown, Pa., May 16, 1871, leaving the
congregation without a pastor, which resulted in weakening the congregation and
reducing it to a small membership. The congregation, now being without a
pastor, was occasionally supplied by Rev. T. 0. Stem of Hellertown, and other
ministers sent here by the East Pennsylvania Classis. During those unfortunate
days the church building had been rented to three different denominations, each
of which had received accessions to its membership through disintegration of this
congregation, so that there was scarcely anything worthy of the name of a
Reformed congregation existing at the time. The Sunday School was entirely
scattered and teachers and scholars had been absorbed by other denominations to
which also a number of the Church members had gone over. The organization
(two elders, three deacons and three trustees) still existed, but the congregation,
as it once was, was no more.
In the fall of 1873, Rev. A. B. Koplin was called by the East Pennsylvania
Classis to look after the Reformed interests, and he succeeded in effecting a new
organization under the former title. During his pastorate the Sunday School was
reorganized and the congregation again placed on a good foundation. Its
membership was over one hundred; but the property being burdened with a
heavy debt, its growth was retarded. After serving the congregation four years,
he resigned in the spring of 1877. His resignation was accepted, and on May 7,
1877, East Pennsylvania Classis dismissed him to Tohickon Classis. After the
OF CATASAUQUA 99
resignation of Rev. Koplin, a call was extended to Rev. J. J. Crist, a graduate of
the Theological Seminary at Lancaster, Pa., who became the pastor and was
ordained and installed on May 31, 1877, by Revs. S. A. Leinbach, A. G. Dubbs and
J. E. Freeman.
"When Rev. Christ began his pastorate, the debt was still a heavy burden on
the congregation, and, to make matters still worse, the steeple of the church,
which was one hundred and sixty feet high, was damaged by a heavy storm on the
afternoon of October 23, 1878, when sixty feet of it was blown down, and lay a
shapeless mass upon the ground. The consistory met on the following evening
and immediately took action on the repairing of the same. A committee was ap-
pointed consisting of Owen Romich, Ellen Fehnel, Priscilla Pehnel, Cecilia
Troxell and Amanda Johnson to collect funds to make temporary repairs. On
September 10, 1879, a Young Peoples' Association was organized. The object
was to promote a social, moral and intellectual improvement among its members,
and aid in the liquidation of the church debt. It has done good work during its
thirty-three years of existence.
The debt being still a heavy burden, the church was finally sold by the
sheriff in 1880, and the organization under the title of the First Reformed Church
disbanded, but in April of the same year, at a public meeting called for the
purpose of organizing a Reformed Church, a new organization was effected under
the title of Salem Reformed Church of Catasauqua, Pa. The organization bought
the property from the sheriff, and efforts were at once put forth to pay the
debt on the property, which amounted to about thirty-three hundred dollars.
During all this time there was little progress in the increase of membership, so
that in 1884 the membership was only about one hundred eighty. But the debt,
which had been the chief hindrance, now being reduced, there was a prospect for
a more rapid increase of membership.
On January 5, 1885, the Mite Society was organized. This organization con-
sisted of married women of the congregation, and the noble work and self sacri-
fice of these mothers during all these years can not be estimated. The Jarge
sums of money placed in the Church treasury, and the beautiful Altar railing
which bears the Society's inscription will stand as a lasting monument to their
memory.
100
THE HISTORY
During the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Crist, great progress was made in all
the various branches of the Church. The Sunday School, Mite Society, Young
People's Association, and congregation made strong efforts, and finally the debt
was paid in 1886 ; but the saddest part of all this was that the health of the
pastor. Rev. J. J. Crist, failed, and he was compelled to resign, after serving
the congregation faithfully for nine years. His resignation was accepted in the
spring of 1886.
Having been without a pastor for some
time, the congregation was supplied by Revs.
Jared Fritzinger and T. N. Reber of Allen-
town. On June 3, 1886, Rev. W. F. More, a
graduate of Lehigh University and the Theo-
logical Seminary at Lancaster, Pa., was or-
dained and installed as pastor, and on Sunday,
June 6, 1886, he preached his introductory
sermons. From now on the congregation took
a forward step. In 1887 it became self sup-
porting and in 1888 the annex was built. In
1890 the church was painted and the steeple
erected, which was blown down by a heavy
storm on October 23, 1878;
The new Church hymnal was introduced in '^^^- ^- "^^ f^antz
1891, and in 1893 a centennial celebration took place, when the church was
beautifully decorated with historic decorations. The year 1894 may be noted
as the banner year for its Sunday School work, more of the older members of the
congregation having attended during this than during any of the former years.
There was a good supply of teachers and all took part in the work. Under the
pastorate of Rev. More the congregation increased in membership. The Sunday
School becoming in need of better accommodations, it was finally decided to
erect a Sunday School building. The building was erected in 1902.
After Rev. More had served the congregation faithfully during eighteen
years, he resigned to become the superintendent of Bethany Orphans Home at
Womelsdorf, Pa. He preached his farewell sermon June 5, 1904,
OF CATASAUQUA 101
The congregation extended a call to Rev. A. P. Frantz, B. D., of Springforge,
Pa. He preached his first sermon on Sunday, August 21, 1904; and December 4,
1904, he was installed as pastor by Rev. W. H. Wotring, D. D., Rev. H. A. Prantz
and Rev. J. G. Rupp.
The debt which was incurred by remodeling the church and in rebuilding
the Sunday School room during Rev. More's pastorate was finally paid. A steam
heating plant was installed, and the duplex envelope system was introduced and
proves successful. The congregation at present has five hundred two inernhers,
and the Sunday School is the second largest in town.
The officers of the consistory of the congregation are: Rev. A. P. Frantz,
B. D., President; Dr. A. J. Becker, Vice President; II. W. Hoffman, Secretary;
W. M. Follweiler, Treasurer.
ANNUNCIATION B. V. M. CHURCIT.
Second & Union Sts.
Rev. Jno. A. Seimetz, Rector.
The parish of the Annunciation B. V. M., briefly called St. Mary's, traces its
origin hack to the year 1852. Father Tanzer, who was then stationed at Easton,
gathered the few scattered German families, and regularly, at stated times, came
from Easton and attended to their spiritual welfare.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated for the first time in the home
of George Schneider, located on Church St., No. 300. The house is still in exist-
ence. Later, George Schneider removed to No. 128 Second St. and then to 105
Second St., where these services were continually held.
In the year 1856, the small, struggling congregation had increased by emi-
gration to eighteen families. The house of George Schneider became too small to
afford room for them all, and relying upon the help of God, they acquired a small
plot of ground at the corner of Second & Union Sts. In 1857 the small frame
church was built, which was dedicated to the service of God on the 9th of Sept.,
1857. Henceforth services were held regularly, once a month, as the parish then
formed a mission of St. Joseph's, So. Easton. The Church then had a membership
of about seventeen to nineteen families, •^^'hose names, as far as can be ascertained,
follow : Peter and Mary Freund, John Blum and Mary Blum, Frank Roth, Jacob
and Mrs. Geiss, Martin Englert, Caroline Englert, Ludwig and Pauline Englert,
102
THE HISTORY
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
OP CATASAUQUA 103
Adam and Elizabeth Freund, Nicholas Schmidt and wife, John and Theresia
Dillinger, George and Josephine Schneider, Conrad Schaeffer, Thomas and Mrs.
Linder, John and Mrs. Gessner. In 1857, when the German Catholic Church,
which was located at the corner of Ridge Road and Allen St., received its first
permanent pastor, in the person of Rev. J. Tuboly, the Annunciation parish of
Catasauqua was severed from So. Baston, and attended to as a mission from
AUentown. Father Tuboly served until March, ]858. In April, 1858, he was
succeeded by Rev. Charles J. Schroeder, who again in May, 1860, was followed by
Rev. Rudolph Kuenzer. Father Kuenzer served until 1862. He was followed by
Rev. Xavier Kaier, 1862-1863, and the Rev. Joseph Kaelin from 1863-1869.
AUentown requiring the services
of its on pastor, the Annunciation B.
V. M. of Catasauqua was attached to
Bethlehem. The first to attend Cata-
sauqua from Bethlehem was the Rev.
John Alber who more frequently held
services in Catasauqua. He bought a
plot of ground in Hanover Township
for a Cemetery in 1874; all burials
previously were made in Fairview
Cemetery, Catasauqua. Father Albert
served the congregation until 1875 ;
his successor was the Rev. Joseph
Winter who attended to the then
growing parish until May, 1877. Rev.
Joseph "Winter was succeeded by the
Rev. J. H. Badde who came from
Bethlehem and served from May, 1877
to 1884, when he was appointed as the
first resident pastor of the parish.
In 1882 Father Badde built the first Parochial School containing two rooms,
obtained the Sisters of St. Francis as teachers, who resided in a house which he
bought, near the corner of Second & Union Sts.
REV. JOHN A. SEIMETZ
104
THE HISTORY
In 1878 Rev. Badde built the brick church, the small frame building proving
too small. Its dimensions were 38 ft. by 70 ft., and it was dedicated Aug. 18th,
1878. Father Badde served until August, 1886, when he was succeeded by Rev.
J. F. Fechtel on August 15th.
In Feb., 1888, Father Fechtel found a successor in Rev. F. J. Schlebbe who
continued the work until April 27th, 1889, when Rev. John A. Seimetz, the
present Rector, was appointed by the Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D. D., Archbishop of
Philadelphia, Dec. 26th, 1889. Father Seimetz bought a piece of ground from
Mrs. Josephine Schneider and in 1890 began the erection of the present Rectory.
saint 3llai'H's ^^^t^fg
ST. MARY'S R. C. RECTORY
It was occupied on the following Oct., 1890. In 1891, the interior of the church
was greatly beautified and instead of the old stoves standing in niches in the
wall, a furnace was installed in the cellar.
The congregation grew continually and, in 1896, the old church proved
entirely too small for the congregation.
OF CATASAUQUA
105
In June, 1896, Father Seimetz began alterations and an enlargement of the
church, 37 ft. by 47 ft. The whole interior was remodeled. The enlargement
proved sufficient and the practically new church was dedicated by Archbishop
Ryan on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 1896. Today it is one of the finest churches
in the Lehigh A"^ alley. Father Seimetz, requiring more teachers for his school,
added two more class rooms to the old school erected in 1882. In April, 1899, he
ST. MARY'S R. C. SCHOOL
began the erection of a beautiful Sisters ' House at the corner of Second & Union
Sts. The Sisters took possession of their new home Nov. 2, 1899, and it is
sufficiently large for all the Sisters added to the teaching stafe until today. The
number of pupils increased to such numbers that the school accommodations
proved too small. Father Seimetz saw the necessity to build a new school, which
building he soon undertook. In May, 1904, the old school was broken away and
106 . THE HISTORY
a new modern structure erected. The school is 70 by 71 ft., three stories high; it
contains eight class rooms, cloak rooms and all modern equipments. On the
third story there is an assembly room 41 by 70 ft., equipped with a fine stage.
The School Building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 1904, by the pres-
ent Most Eev. Archbishop of Philadelphia, Edmund F. Prendergast, D. D. This
school proved so satisfactory that several more Parochial Schools of the Archdio-
cese of Philadelphia were accordingly built. Yet the work of Father Seimetz was
not finished. In Sept., 1905, he bought a plot of ground west of the school
building, which was converted into a playground for the children.
In Feb., 1909, Father Seimetz bought the Kester property adjoining the
Eectory. In May he began erecting a large addition to the Rectory built in 1890.
He improved the Church surroundings by a beautiful lawn with shrubbery and
roses, which in the spring and summer time is the admiration of all. In 1912, on
the occasion of his "Silver Jubilee of Ordination," he erected a beautiful
Gothic Altar in commemoration of his deceased parents, Mathias and Mary
Seimetz. This Altar was supplemented later on by two others, one in honor of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, the other in honor of St. Joseph, both harmonizing with the
High Altar in all details.
On Christmas Day, 1912, the new Bstey Organ which he had installed in
Nov. and Dec. of the same year, was dedicated and used for the first time. On
Dec. 31st, 1913, he bought over three acres of ground as an addition to "Gethsem-
ani Cemetery" in Hanover Township.
On April 26, 1914, Father Seimetz celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his
Pastorate in Catasauqua, being in point of service the oldest priest in the Lehigh
Valley. The Parish of the Annunciation of Catasauqua is well organized and
societies and pious congregation established for all, young and old.
The Church property of the Annunciation Church, Catasauqua, Pa., is one
of the largest and most valuable in the Lehigh Valley.
ST. LAWRENCE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Prior to the year 1858, the English speaking Catholics of Catasauqua and
vicinity met in the homes of Bartholomew Murtaugh and Ed. Crampsey for wor-
ship. Father Rearidon of Baston, Pa., ministered to their spiritual needs by cele-
OP CATASAUQUA
107
brating Mass in these homes. In 1858 the congregation decided to erect a church
edifice. Park Damsey and Bartholomew Murtaugh bought from the Faust Estate
a lot on Second and Chapel Streets for this purpose.
Under the direction of Rev. Lawrence Brennan a beautiful and commodious
church was erected and subsequently consecrated for divine worship. The first
ST. LAWRENCE R. C. CHURCH
resident pastor was the Rev. L. J. Miller who was succeeded by the Rev. Edw.
McKee in 1862. Father McKee labored zealously for twenty-one years and under
his ministrations the congregation enjoyed great prosperity. It was during his
pastorate that additional land adjoining the church was bought and solemnly con-
secrated for a cemetery. Father McKee resigned in 1883 and was succeeded by
the Rev. B. J. Conway, who was pastor of the Church until 1896.
108
THE HISTORY
REV. HENRY I. O'CONNOR
In 1896 Rev. Peter A. Quinn was appointed
rector. It was during the pastorate of Father
Quinn that the Parochial School Building and
Convent was built, a perpetual monument to
the loyalty and devotion of the members of the
Church. Owing to poor health, Father Quinn
resigned and the present incumbent, Rev.
Henry I. Connor, was appointed by the Most
Rev. P. J. Ryan, Archbishop, in June, 1907.
The labors of Father Conner are greatly ap-
preciated by his parishioners, comprising
about nine hundred souls, and the Church
is in a properous condition. There are one
hundred eighty-three scholars in regular at-
tendance in the Parochial School,' which is in
charge of the Sisters of St. Francis.
GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Methodism in Catasauqua did not have the early beginning that other denom-
inations enjoyed. However, as early as 1843, there were those living here who
desired Methodist services. By invitation, the Rev. Newton HesLon, who was then
stationed on Allentown Circuit, came to Catasauqua and preached to a small
congregation assembled in the house of Mr. Isaac Lorash, who lived on Church
Street, near the present Town Hall. The preaching services in Mr. Lorash 's
house were irregular, on account of the large territory traveled by the preachers
on the Allentown Circuit.
The room in the Lorash house becoming too small to accommodate the con-
gregation, Mrs. Jeannette Frederick and Mrs. Amelia Matchette secured from the
School Board the use of the school house on lower Second Street for the
services. These elect ladies collected the sum of twenty dollars annually to pay
the preacher. Mr. Samuel Steele and Mrs. Margaret Rodgers were also among the
first and most active workers in the organization of a Methodist Epis3opal Church
in this place. The old lamps used in early services in homes and school house
(IF CATASAUQUA lO'J
together with collection boxes, Bible, and Hymn books are still in the possession
of the Frederick family.
It was not until 1855, under the leadership of Rev. H. A. Hobbs, preacher in
charge of AUentown Circuit, with Rev. Isaac Thomas as junior preacher, that
the work in Catasaucjua showed signs of development. In 1858, Rev. F. D. Bgan
conducted regular services in the Second Street school house. His labors were
blessed with a revival, during which more than twenty persons professed con-
version and united with the Church. These, with nine that had already been
organized into a society, constituted the beginning of a better day.
In 1859, the pressing need was a Church edifice. The little band of Chris-
tians proved their devotion to the Church of their choice by assuming the re-
sponsibility of erecting a Church building. They bought a lot on Front Street
above Walnut from James W. Fuller, Sr., and in June, 1857, the corner stone was
laid. Rev. F. D. Egan officiated on this occasion. On a cold winter's day,
December 25, 1859, the basement of the church was dedicated.
The first session of the Sunday School was held Feb. 25, 1860, at 7.30 P. M.
in the church. Arthur Campbell was the first superintendent. The Board of
Trustees held their first meeting at the house of Joseph Reichard April 17, 1860.
The members present were Charles Graffin, Arthur Campbell and Joseph Reich-
ard. A charter of incorporation was granted by the Court of Lehigh Count-
November 17, 1860.
During the year of incorporation, the organization became financially em-
barrassed on account of the cost of their church property exceeding the estimate,
and probably other causes. The financial obligation was so heavy for the little
society, that they were obliged to appeal for out-side help. The Philadelphia
Conference took action to render assistance, but, since very little money was forth-
coming, finally, on July 26, 1862, Charles B. Hainty, Esq., High Sheriff of Lehigh
County, sold the property at public sale to Tilghman H. Meyers, who bought it for
the creditors.
The property, however, was saved to the Denomination by the faithful
band of Christians, by the liberality of Mr. James W. Fuller, Sr., and Clarissa
Fuller his wife, and by the heroic assistance of the Presiding Elder of the
110 THE HISTORY
District, Rev. Dr. D. W. Bartine, who secured money from friends in Philadelphia
and elsewhere on the District.
Catasauqua M. E. Church was made a separate appointment by the Phila-
delphia Annual Conference in the year 1864,. and Rev. Charles W. Bickley was
sent as pastor. Rev. Bickley was eminently adapted to the needs of the Church
and community. He preached with great acceptability and he enjoyed large
congregations. A revival of great importance swept over the community, the
loftiest and the humblest, rich and poor alike, gave themselves to God. Some
seventy persons professed conversion, most of whom identified themselves with the
Church.
Toward the close of Rev. Best's pastorate, the Church edifice was completed.
Rev. S. B. Best's service of three years from 1866-69 was highly satisfactory.
From 1869 to 1881 the Church was served by some of the choice men of the
Philadelphia Conference, some, however, succeeding better than others in this
field. In the year 1881, beginning with October, Rev. 0. S. Garrison became
pastor, appointed by Bishop Harris to fill the unexpired term of Rev.
L. B. Hoffman. Rev. Garrison remained pastor in charge until March,
1884. His ministry on this Charge marks another era in the history of the
Church. A great revival of religion took place during his pastorate. His dis-
courses were logical, argumentative,, and clothed with power. He labored with
men of the lowest walks of life, and because of his towering personality, was
able to lead men by the score to the Master. More than one hundred persons
made an absolute surrender to God during his ministry.
It was during the pastorate of Rev. Garrison that the house and lot on the
corner of Third and Walnut Streets were purchased from William H. Laubach
for seven thousand five hundred dollars. This property was to be a permanent
site for the church and parsonage.
Under the administration of Rev. A. J. Amthor, 1887-89, the property on
the corner of Third and Walnut Streets as sold to the Crane Iron Company, and
the lots on Fifth and Walnut Streets were purchased by the Congregation. The
commodious and modern parsonage now upon the lot was erected and first occu-
pied by Rev. Amthor.
OP CATASAUQUA
111
Perhaps the crowning event of Methodism in this town, aside from bring-
ing men and women into the Kingdom of God, is the erection of the magnifi-
cent stone edifice during the pastorate of Rev. C. H. Rorer.
January 7, 18 9 0,
James Thomas, Dr. H.
H. Riegel, John Morris-
on, and Rev. C. H.
Rorer were appointed a
Building Committee. On
March 24, 1890, the con-
tract to build a new
Church edifice was
awarded to J. S. Allen
of South Bethlehem.
The chief glory lies in
the fact that by the self-
denial and liberalitv of
GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
the members, Grace Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated, December 21,
1890, free from debt. The approximate cost of the property and equipment is
thirty-five thousand dollars. This ' ' Church Cathedral ' ' will ever remain a monu-
ment to the love and liberality of the members of the congregation.
January 8, 1894, the Quarterly Conference appointed a committee composed
of Thomas B. Glick, Austin A. Glick, James Thomas and H. J. Reinhard to pre-
pare a set of new Records of the Church. The committee prepared a set of fine
Records at a cost of sixty dollars. This fact is mentioned because District Super-
intendents and men of prominence, who have examined many Church Records,
pronounce these the best on the North District of the Philadelphia Conference.
It is fitting to state that Rev. C. M. Simpson, who was pastor from 189-2 to
1897, remained longer than any other preacher in the history of the Church.
During the pastorate of Rev. F. F. Bond, an Bsty Pipe Organ was installed
at a cost of three thousand dollars. Other improvements, amounting to thirteen
hundred dollars, were made and all expenses met. "Money raising," about this
112 THE HISTORY
time, was a comparatively easy matter, as men like James Thomas, B. F. Swartz,
George Davies and Jacob Roberts were consecrated to the Lord.
The Sunday School room, Class rooms, and Parlor were frescoed and the
wood work revarnished at a cost of six hundred and fifty dollars, during the
pastorate of Rev. R. A. Mcllwain, 1904 to 1907.
REV. A. L. SHALKOP. Ph. D.
The Church membership at this time is two hundred thirty-five. While
numerically small, devotion to all the interests of the Church is manifest. The
Church property, including parsonage, is clear of any indebtedness and is valued
at a conservative estimate of forty thousand dollars. The Rev. A. L. Shalkop,
Ph. D., is the present pastor.
OP CATASAUQUA
The following is a complete list of pastors who served this Church :
Eev. Newton Heston, 1843-1845 Chas. W. Bickley, 1864-1865
George Quigley, 1845-1846 Henry P. Isett, 1865-1866
George Quigley and T. C. Murphy, Silas B. Best, 1866-1869
113
1846-1847
W. W. McMichael, 1847-1848
Joshua H. Turner and W. H. Burrel],
1848-1849
D. R. Thomas and N. C. Stockton,
1849-1850
S. G. Hare, 1850-1851
W. H. Brisbane, 1851-1853
Samuel Irwin, 1853-1854
Samuel Irwin and J. M. Hinson,
1854-1855
H. A. Hobbs and Jesse Thomas,
1855-1856
H. A. Hobbs and J. H. Boyd,
1856-1857
H. H. Hickman, 1857-1858
F. D. Eagan, 1858-1860
S. G. Hare, 1860-1862
E. T. Kenny, 1862-1864
J. J. Jones, 1869-1871
William B. Howell, 1871-1874
J. Pastorfield, 1874-1876
G. Oram, 1876-1878
D. M. Young, 1878-1881
L. B. Hoffman, 1881-1881
S. 0. Garrison, 1881-1884
John Stringer, 1884-1887
A. J. Amthor, 1887-1889
Charles H. Rorer, 1889-1892
C. M. Simpson, 1892-1897
E. C. Yerkes, 1897-1899
I. M. Poster, 1899-1901
P. P. Bond, 1901-1904
R. A. Mcllwain, 1904-1907
J. E. Grauley, 1907-1911
W. Holden Pickop, 1911-1913
A. L. Shalkop, 1913-
HOKENDAUQUA PEESBYTEBIAN CHURCH.
It was in 1854 that the Thomas Iron Company's works were started in
Hokendauqua. Amongst those who came to reside in the new village were seven
members of the Pirst Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua. Their names were:
Samuel Thomas, Mrs. Rebecca Mickley Thomas, "William W. Walters, M. D., John
Mcllhenny, Thomas McClintock, William James, Mrs. Mary James.
On July 15, 1855, these seven were organized into the Hokendauqua Church
by the Rev. Cornelius Earle of Catasauqua, who preached for them Sunday after-
114
THE HISTORY
noons until a few months before the coming — March 27, 1869 — of the Rev. James
A. Little, of New York City, who became the duly called and regularly installed
pastor of the growing Hokendauqua congregation.
A sightly church edifice, with all spire and commanding location was nearly
completed under Dr. Earle 's ministrations ; and on Sabbath, September 26, 1869,
^HOKENDAUQUA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Dr. Little conducted long-to-be-remembered dedication services, assisted by dis-
tinguished Philadelphia divines.
From that time to the present the Hokendauqua Church has had remarkable
OP CATASAUQUA
115
prosperity, being free of all indebtedness, and having added to its membership,
at every quarterly communion for forty -five years.
The Hokendauqua parsonage was built thirty years ago, has been and is still
the handsome residence of Dr. Little and his family.
The Sunday School has enrolled at the
present time two hundred and forty-four of-
ficers, teachers and scholars, and has always
been a power for good in the community. It
was also organized in 1855.
Both Church and Sunday School at
Hokendaucjua owe a lasting debt of gratitude
to the splendid helpfulness of their benefac-
tors, Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas. Tt was
through their generosity that in 1892 an
eighteen hundred dollar pipe organ was pre-
sented to the Hokendauqua Church, which still
remains as a weekly reminder of their love and
loyalty to their "Long-loved Zion. "
In April, 1911, the much-beautified audi-
torium was re-dedicated, free of debt and with
gratifying services, in which the neighboring pastors of Catasauqua and Coplay
participated very fraternally and acceptably.
The present officers are as follows: Pastor, Dr. James A. Little; Elders,
George Williams, Hokendauqua, Frank S. Hartman, Allentown, Gus. E. Os-
wald, Catasauqua; Trustees, Thomas Porter, Jr., Sec'y and Treas., Charles
Campbell, William J. Faulkner, Edmund Hartman ; Henry Hensinger, Organist ;
William Abernethy, Sexton. Sabbath School: George Williams, Superintend-
ent; Miss May Porter, Organist; Miss Margaret Junkin, Sec'y; Miss Helen V.
Little, Treas. Ladies ' Aid Society : Mrs. James A. Little, Pres. ; Mrs. Horace
Boyd, V.-Pres. ; Mrs. William J. Faulkner, Treas.
Counting only those who commune or contribute, the actual membership is
REV. DR. LITTLE
116
THE HISTORY
one hundred twenty-six, a willing and faithful band, who do much for Christ and
the Church.
THE ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH OP THE HOLY TRINITY.
The majority of the members who entered into the organization of the
Church of the Holy Trinity were members of St. Paul's Bv. Lutheran Church,
Catasauqua. They withdrew from said Church because they could not secure
in it, such provisions for services in the English language as they deemed de-
TRINITY EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH
sirable and necessary. This withdrawal occurred in connection with the annual
congregational meeting of St. Paul's Church, January 1, 1873. On January 10,
1873, steps were taken for holding regular services in the English language.
The Reformed Church was secured for this purpose. January 28, 1873, the name
"English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity" was adopted.
OP CATASAUQUA 217
February 10, 1873, a constitution was adopted and signed by twenty-three
persons. A board of officers was elected at the same time. The Holy Commu-
nion was administered by Rev. Joseph A. Seiss, D. D., of Philadelphia, for the
first time on May 4, 1873. Thirty-one persons participated. May 27, 1873,
Rev. Jno. K. Plitt, of Greensburg, Pa., was unanimously elected Pastor and
accepted the call on May 30, and took charge July 1. Ground was broken for
the new Church edifice, corner of Third and Bridge Streets, October 14, 1873.
The corner-stone was laid November 9, 1873. Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, President
of Muhlenberg College, delivered a discourse ; Rev. J. D. Schindel, pastor of St.
Paul's Church, took part in the services; Rev. C. Barle and Rev. Mr. Pulton were
also present.
The church was dedicated on Sunday, May 17, 1874. Dr. Seiss had prom-
ised to preach the dedicatory sermon, but was unable to be present on account of
sickness. Rev. C. P. Krauth, D. D., Vice-Provost of the University of Penna., and
a professor in the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, kindly sup-
plied the place of Dr. Seiss in the morning and evening.
Dr. Muhlenberg spoke in the afternoon, and Rev. E. T. Horn and
Rev. J. D. Schindel assisted in the liturgical services. Rev. Mr. Earle,
Rev. Mr. Pulton and Rev. Mr. Koplin also assisted. Rev. Prof. M. H.
Richards succeeded Rev. Mr. Plitt in 1877. He was followed by Rev. G. W.
Sandt, who remained pastor until 1884, when Prof. Richards acted as supply
until Rev. C. S. Kohler took charge in Dec, 1884. He continued as pastor until
1887, when he was succeeded by Rev. Dr. D. M. Henkel who cared for the con-
gregation until 1889, when he was compelled by ill health to relinquish the
charge. Rev. J. D. Roth was pastor from 1889 to May 1, 1893 ; his successor
was Rev. Paul G. Klingler, who remained until called to St. John's at Easton
in 1896. Following Mr. Klingler came Rev. Wm. G. DeAount Hudson, who
was pastor until 1902. Rev. Edwin F. Keever began his pastorate in 1902 and
remained until 1907, when he was called to Utica, N. Y. Rev. Chas. L. Fry was
his successor and remained with the congregation until Oct. 1, 1913, when it
became necessary for him to give all his time to the Church Extension work,
with his headquarters at Philadelphia, Pa. Since Rev. Dr. Fry's retirement,
118 THE HISTORY
Rev. Prof. J. D. M. Brown has been supplying very satisfactorily as acting
pastor. About two years ago the Congregation bought the Smith property ad-
joining the church and transformed it into a beautiful parsonage. The Church
now numbers about one hundred sixty members, six of whom were among the
thirty-one who communed on May 4, 1873. The Church recently celebrated its
fortieth anniversary. The services were participated in by Rev. Dr. Edward
T. Horn, Rev. Dr. G. W. Sandt, Rev. J. F. Lambert and Rev. Dr. Chas. L. Fry.
The Sunday School of the Church has not changed its executive head as often
as the Church, it having had three superintendents. The first was Col. M. H.
Horn who devoted so much of his time and thought to the school that it became
popularly known by his name. The second superintendent was Oliver Williams,
an ideal man for the office, who for sixteen years gave the school the very best
of his eare and concern, Sundays and weekdays; and it will long continue to
bear the marks of his masterly direction. His successor, Supt. J. Arthur "Wil-
liams, ably carries on the work and is never absent from his post summer or
winter.
THE WELSH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The iron works attracted a number of people from Wales. Among them
were many pious souls who longed to worship God in their mother tongue.
"Mother Thomas" (the title by which Mrs. David Thomas was known) offered
a lot at Fourth and Pine Streets for a Welsh Church.
The Rev. David R. Griffith was ordained a Congregational clergyman at
Slatington, Pa., in the fall of 1881. He at once inspired zeal for the House of
God among his countrymen and so led in the organization of the Bethel Welsh
Congregational Church, which was effected with thirty charter members, No-
vember 26, 1882.
The corner stone of the new Church edifice was laid by Elizabeth ("Moth-
er") Thomas assisted by her two sons, Samuel and John, while the pastor. Rev.
Griffith, spoke the appropriate words.
The total cost of the property was $5,600, three thousand dollars of which
was solicited by Rev. Griffith and the balance was contributed by Mother Thomas.
Thus the Church was begun free of debt, and has remained unencumbered ever
OF CATASAUQUA
119
since. It was consecralcnl to the service of God, December 2, 1883. Within a
year of its organization the membership of this congregation grew to a hundred
or more souls.
The first governing body, called Deacons, consisted of Edward Davies, David
Griffith, John Williams, David Thomas, and Richard Thomas, Secretary.
The Rev. Griffith served the congregation as pastor for fourteen years, fn
1897 the Rev. Tidwell Williams succeeded him, when this Church was united with
the Slatington congregation to constitute a parish.
After a short time followed the Rev. T. ('. Davies, another Mr. Davies, and
the Rev. T. I. Williams. The present pastor is the Rev. Griffith, who was instru-
mental in founding the Church. He preaches a sermon in Welsh at the Sunday
morning services and in English at vesiiers. There arc still twenty names on the
membership roll.
ST. STEPHEN 'S EPISC'OI'AIj CHUECII.
The first attempt to establish
the Episcopal T'hurch in C'ata-
sauqua was made by the Rev.
P. W. Bartlett, rector of the
Church of the Mediator, Allen-
town, who held services in the
old school house on Willow
Street, where for nearly two
years the people worshipped reg-
ularly. On the removal of the
Rev. Mr. Bartlett from Allen-
town, the services were held at
intervals by the Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead, D.D., then rector of the Church of
the Nativity at South Bethlehem, and now Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
In 1873 the Rev. C. E. D. Griffith of the Church of the Mediator, Allentown,
took up the work, holding services in the Leljigh Valley station for nearly two
years, when he removed from the diocese. After this time no efforts were made
ST. STEPHEN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
120
THE HISTORY
to continue the services for ten years, 1875 to 1885, when the present Bishop of
Georgia, the Rt. Rev. C. K. Nelson, then rector of the Church of the Nativity,
South Bethlehem, came occasionally and administered the Holy Communion.
' On Sunday, the 23d
day of April, in the
afternoon, the Rev. R.
H. Kline of Grace
Church, AUentown,
held a service in the
Town Hall, with sixty
people present. This
service was the begin-
ning of a permanent
movement, from which
' the present Church
INTERIOR ST. STEPHEN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
and congregation have
come. Through the devotion of Mr. Kline,
with the assistance of Layreaders Packer,
Fichter and Meixwell, services were main-
tained in different places, until the coming
of Bishop Talbot to the diocese, to whom
the Rev. Mr. Kline committed the Mission.
Bishop Talbot immediately appointed the
Rev. Mr. H. Heigham, Ph. D., who re-
mained for two years in charge of the work.
Dr. Heigham was succeeded by the Rev.
George A. Green in 1900. It was through
the untiring energy of the Rev. Mr. Green
and the loyalty of the people that the
Church building came to be. The lot was
the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
Peckitt. Ground was broken for the
REV. J. B. MAY
OP CATASAUQUA
121
foundation Sept. 25, 1900, and the corner stone laid Sunday, Oct. 28, and the
church opened for the first service Easter Day, April 7, 1901. The church was
consecrated on Sunday, May 21, 1905.
In June, 1905, the Rev. Mr. Green removed to Fishkill, New York, to become
the rector of St. Andrew's Church at that place. In September, 1905, the
present rector, the Rev. James B. May, came to Catasauqua. 'During this time
the church has grown in numbers and influence, and many improvements and
additions to the church property and its furniture, including a splendid pipe
organ and large vested Choir, have been made. There is a large Sunday School
and several other parish organizations.
The church is modeled after the most ancient of British churches, St.
Martin's, situated just outside of the walls of Canterbury, and which was
restored and used by Bertha, the first Christian Queen of England, about
580 A. D.
ST. John's united evangelical church.
The Rev. D. S. Stauffer called a
meeting of all persons who severed
their connection from the Evangelical
Association, October 5, 1894, for the
purpose of organizing a new congre-
gation.
A. E. Brown was elected chair-
man at the meeting, and James Missi-
mer. Secretary.
After some discussion a congre-
gation was organized and the follow-
ing trustees elected: P. J. Heilman,
John W. Souder, George Minnich, Sr.,
James Fabler and C. W. Weibel.
The Class Leaders were :
Class No. 1, P. J. Heilman and
George Minnich, Sr.
Class No. 2, J. W. Souder and
Frank Hepner.
Class No. 3, C. W. Weibel and
Samuel Missimer.
ST. JOHN UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH
122
THE HISTORY
The Officers of the Sunday School were :
Superintendent, C. W. Weibel ; Asst. Superintendent, J. W. Souder ; Secre-
tary, Henry Weibel ; Treasurer, George Minnich, Sr.
A meeting to consider the ad-
visability of erecting a church was
held October 30, 1894, and a resolu-
tion favoring a new building was
adopted.
The building committee consisted
of James Fabler, David Graffin, A. E.
Brown, C. W. Weibel and P. J. Heil-
man.
The corner stone was laid with
appropriate services by the Rev. D. S.
Stauffer Dec. 2, 1894.
The building was completed and
furnished for consecration on March
24, 1895. The present efficient pastor
is the Rev. A. W. Warfel.
The following clergy have served
St. John 's Church :
Rev. D. S. Stauffer
Rev. R. M. Lichtenwalner
Rev. C. D. Huber
Rev. D. P. Longsdorf
Rev. J. Stermer
Rev. R. W. Hand
REV. A. W. WARFEL
THE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The Russian Greek Orthodox Catholic Church, called the Holy Trinity
Church The First, is located on the corner of Fifth and Liberty Streets,
The congregation was organized in 1899 by a small band of Russian Bmi-
OP CATASAUQUA 123
grants from upper Hungary, where the oppression and greed of the United Greek
clergy and the Magyar government is felt most keenly.
All the holy vessels, vestments, icons (images) and iconostasis (picture
GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH
Standing) which adorn the churchly brick edifice of the Greek Church were
imported from Russia.
124 THE HISTORY
The congregation is composed of Russians mainly from Hungary and Russia,
although there are also emigrants from Galitia, Servia and Roumania. Some
Greeks and Syrians of Allentown and other towns also attend services on special
occasions.
The congregation owns a commodious Parish House located beside the
church, and a cemetery adjoining the Allen Union, near Dry Run.
Title to the property is in the name of Archbishop Platon, Archbishop of the
Aleutian Islands and of North America.
The priest is under the jurisdiction of the Holy Synod of Russia whose head-
quarters are at St. Petersburg, and whose chief representative in this country is
His Grace, the Most Reverend Archbishop Platon, seated at New York City.
Rev. Myron Volkay left the Orthodox Greek faith and became a Greek United
Roman Catholic priest, which caused this small band of loyalists great concern
until their first acknowledged pastor. Father Alexander Nemolovsky, came from
southern Russia.
Father Nemolovsky organized the parish, instilled confidence into his people,
and ' ' governed and ruled the Church ' ' most successfully for six years, after which
he became the Right Reverend Bishop Alexander of Alaska with his residence
in New York City.
Then followed: Rector John Kedrovsky, now at Coaldale, Pa., Rector Val-
dimir Znosko and Rector Gergins Belozorov, both in Russia ; and since June, 1911,
the Rev. John Ossipovitch Olshevsky is in charge. He was appointed as parish
priest of Catasauqua and Slatington, with a preaching point at Williamstown, by
His Grace, the Most Reverend Platon.
About sixty families, scattered throughout the large territory bounded by
the Blue Ridge on the north and the South Mountains on the south, constitute this
parish.
An adjunct of the Church consists in the Saint Cyrill and Method Russian
Orthodox Society composed of over one hundred and twenty members. This
brotherhood belongs to the Russian Orthodox Mutual Aid Society of North
America.
OF CATASAliQUA
125
The offieei-s of tlic C'lnirch are:
President, Joseph Htehnach ; Secretary, John Huiajda ; Trea.sui'er, John
Kresach,
These three men also serve as trnstees of the ( 'hui-ch.
ST. Andrew's hlovak church.
In the year 1902, the eongi-egation represented by committee, consisting
of Mr. John Fischer, Joseph Ynrko, Josejih Pasco, Martin Benko, M. Bni-da,
Andrew Posozo, Peter Pai-lo, W. ]?oroski, Joseph Farkash, M. Nedorostek and
126
THE HISTORY
a few others, asked the late Rt. Rev. A. Msgr. Wm. Heiner, of East Mauch Chunk,
Pa., to help them to get their own house of worship, in the most central location
of the settlement of the Slovak nationality and Roman Catholic faith. This place
was most properly selected at N. Catasauqua, Third St., near the Hokendauqua
Bridge.
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REV. JOSEPH KASPAREK
The new church under the name of "ST. ANDREW'S ROMAN CATHOLIC
SLOVAK CHURCH" was started in October, 1902, and the people worshipped
in the meantime in the John Small building, formally used as a school house of
OF CATAaiVUQtlA
127
N. Catasauqua. The church was finished and dedicated in November, 1903. The
church is built of best local brick and cost with contents and the lots adjoining
it — the whole sciuare — $25,000.00 The first rector of this Church was Rev.
Paul J. Lisicky, from 1905 to 1912, who during his time built the rectory adjoin-
ing the said church for eight thousand dollars.
This congregation comprises Slovak Catholic people from Catasauqua,
Pullerton, Hokendauqua, Coplay, Northampton, Siegfried, Cementon, Egypt and
Ormrod.
The number of parishioners (souls) is seventeen hundred twenty-six.
The present rector is Rev. Joseph Kasparek.
128 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER IV.-SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS.
Church and School are the two inseparable and irresistible forces by which
a people are enlightened and a community is prospered in peace and happiness.
The first school in Catasauqua was organized in the ' ' Old School ' ' Presbyterian
Church with fifteen pupils at some time during the forties. A gentleman by
the name of Landis was the teacher. A Mr. Evans succeeded Mr. Landis.
BTJILDINGS.
The first school building erected within the precincts of the town, according
•to the tradition of our oldest residents, was a frame structure built by the Crane
Iron Company at the corner of Church Street and Limestone Alley. The second
building was erected by Hanover township at the corner of Union Street and
Railroad Alley. Upon its being declared a separate school district by the State
Legislature in 1859, the Borough became the possessor of this property.
The third building was the Bridge Street school, located at Howertown
Avenue and Bridge Street. A Mr. Alfred Cattemore solicited subscriptions for
an Academy during 1848 and 1849. To the amount secured the Crane Company
advanced a mortgage loan of twelve hundred dollars for the completion of the
building, which was erected during 1849. This was the original Bridge Street
building, and was regarded as a model school in those days. There were indi-
vidual desks equipped with a book shelf and ink-well. The bulling also had
ceiling ventilators.
In 1856 the trustees resolved to discontinue this as a private school and
sold the property to the Catasauqua . School District for two thousand five hun-
dred thirty dollars. After satisfying the mortgage to the Crane Company, the
balance was divided in equal shares between the First and Old School Presby-
terian Churches. The trustees were: David Thomas, Robert Mclntyre, Samuel
Thomas, William Taylor, David Williams, Owen Rice, and John Peter. After
OP CATASAUQUA
129
a tenure of forty-seven years, when the Lincoln Building was completed, the
Bridge Street property was disposed of at public sale to James W. Fuller for
six thousand dollars. This sale was ratified by the Board, January 5, 1903.
The next school was located on Second and School Streets. It seems this
was a substitution for the building on Union Street, but the date of its erection
is nowhere traceable. On July 26, 1897, it was sold to Dr. H. Y. Horn for nine-
teen hundred dollars. This is now the property of the Lenox Manufacturing
Company.
In 1858 the School Board leased the building at the corner of Front and
School Streets (now the house of Mr. Frank Hunsicker) from Samuel Messimer
SECOND STREET BUILDING
for one hundred dollars per annum. February 26, 1859, the Board purchased
a lot on the corner of Second and Walnut Streets from Adrian Barber for one
thousand dollars. Contracts for the new building were awarded, June 9 : car-
penter work to William Biery, brick and plaster work to Knapp and Miller,
brick to David A. Tombler, and lumber to T. H. Moyer. This is a substantial
three story building containing six rooms, five of which are occupied at this
time.
130
THE HISTORY
The Board purchased a lot on Front Street below "Wood, April 14, 1868,
from John T. Matchette for twenty-five hundred dollars ; and erected thereon a
two-story building which was sold, after a service of thirty-two years, September
10, 1900, to the St. Lawrence T. A. B. Society for five thousand dollars.
The Board resolved, December 5, 1894, to purchase from the Crane Iron
Company the lot on Howertown Avenue and Peach Street for thirty -five hundred
dollars. On the third of April, 1896, an additional lot, adjoining the former,
was purchased for one thousand dollars. On the 8th of June, 1896, the Borough
Council passed an ordinance vacating that portion of Peach Street between the
THE LINCOLN SCHOOL
two lots. It had previously been resolved, February 10, 1896, to erect a ten-
room building on the original plot, but now it was decided to locate the building
almost centrally on the enlarged grounds. The architect was Mr. P. Rudrauff,
of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ; and the contractors M^ere James Nagle and Son of Allen-
town, Pa. The total cost of this property was approximately $35,000.00. This
building, called the "Lincoln School," was dedicated March 8, 1897. Dr. E. L.
Kemp of the State Normal School at Stroudsburg, Pa., delivered the principal
OP CATASAUQUA 131
address. A beautiful "marquee," which is a greatly valued shelter to the main
entrance, was erected during 1909 at a cost of three hundred ninety-five dollars.
The High School was quartered in different buildings at various times. Upon
the completion of the Lincoln Building, the problem of its location seemed
solved ; but a very few years revealed the need of additional room for the grades.
The Board resolved, September 1, 1909, to reconstruct and to equip the third
floor of the building on Second and Walnut Streets and soon transferred the
High School to that building. This afforded no relief, it only transferred the
congestion. Already in October, 1909, efforts were made to secure a lot for
High School purposes on the corner of Howertown Avenue and Walnut Street.
This endeavor failed. During March, 1910, the Board essayed to buy the
Koehler lot on Bridge Street and Limestone Alley, but this also defaulted.
The Board finally resolved, January 16, 1911, to erect the High School building
on the large plot located on Howertown Avenue next to the Lincoln building.
Since the debt on School properties still amounted to $17,377.12, the Board
concluded to submit the question of a new High School building and the increase
of indebtedness to a vote of the tax-payers. The result of the election was four
hundred twenty-flve ballots in favor of progress and one hundred eighty opposed.
The election was held March 7, 1911. On the 25th of March, Ruhe and Lang,
Architects, were engaged to draw plans, etc. Plans haying been adopted, the
contract for the erection of the building was awarded to Franklin Goldsmith and
Son for $35,905. Including plumbing (Schick and Hausman at $2095), ven-
tilating system (The Monarch at $3582) and some extras, including equipment,
the cost of the whole enterprise was about fifty-five thousand dollars.
The building is a model, fire-proof structure. The auditorium has a seating
capacity of six hundred eight. The stage measures twenty by forty -two feet and
has dressing rooms on either side besides a centre door opening into a fire-proof
stairway leading to the main floor and the school yard in the rear of the building.
There is school room capacity sufiScient for two hundred fifty students. Thirteen
rooms are available for departmental work. The Science department is fully
equipped with an ' ' Instructor 's Table ' ' and other appliances suitable for experi-
ments in Chemistry and Physics. There is also a fully equipped Chemical Labora-
132
THE HISTORY
_]
O
O
X
o
X
o
I
OP CATASAUQXTA
mi
tory in tlie l)a,s('inciit for sliulciits' use. The T'oinmercial department is quartered
(in the seeond floor tVoiit, ;i lai'fi'e, well lighted I'ooin furnisiieil with desks of the
latest and inosl approved ])atterii and ten 1 yi)e-writers. The Oyinnasinin is placed
in the hasetnent and for the ])resent is ei|uipiied foi' liasketdiall. There ai'e also
a Musenni, Alnnini Ilall, Directors' Room, Lihi-ary, Superintenderd 's Office, cloak
TAYLOR BUILDING
rooms, drinking fountains, lavatories ;ind all other accessories contributing to
the coinfoi-ts of teacher and pupil.
With the annexation of East (^atasauqua, as the Third Ward of the Borough,
came the accession of that portion of the schools of Hanover Townshiji to the
Borough ; and incidentally also an indebtedness of ^2277.12. The asset of the
Third Wai'd is, however, a handsome recompense for all her liabilities. In order
to enlarge the chihlren 's playgi'ound, a lot adjoining the Tliird Ward property
was purchased Octolicr 6, 1010, from the Davies and Thomas Company for eight
hundred ninety-two dollars and fifty cents. February i:^, 1913, it was i-esolved
to remodel and enlarge the Third Ward building. Jacoby and Weishample drew
plans and P. Goldsunth and Hon fulfilled the contract at nine thousand one
hnndi'ed dollars.
134 THE HISTORY
VALUATION AND ASSESSMENTS.
The first authentic records of the valuation placed upon Catasauqua's school
properties is dated 1862, and the amount is thirteen thousand five hundred dol-
lars. In 1869 the amount was fixed at forty-eight thousand dollars. The tax
rate for 1868 was ten mills for the current, and eight mills for the building fund.
For 1871 the rate was thirteen and nine mills; for 1872, thirteen and six mills.
The valuation for 1875 was sixty- four thousand dollars with an indebtedness of
$14,555. In 1877 the rate of taxation was five and two mills ; and in 1884 it shift-
ed to six and one and one-fourth mills; in 1891, six and three mills; in 1901,
eight mills; and in 1913, eleven mills. The property valuation in 1911 was
eighty thousand dollars with an indebtedness of $17,214.47, and in 1912, it rose
to $130,000 and $62,000 respectively ; and in 1913 the indebtedness stood at $76,-
801.34. The sinking fund held $4198.35.
CURRENT ACCOUNTS AND SALARIES.
For the term of ten months, September 1, 1858, to July 1, 1859, the teachers'
salaries ranged from twenty dollars to forty-five dollars per month. In 1859
the Board elected Misses M. A. Davis, M. Duff, and J. Darling "to serve in case
they are- needed at fifteen dollars per month." In 1860 Mr. Reuben Lichten-
walner was elected at twenty dollars per month. The receipts for the year ending
March 21, 1862, were $2,236.51 and the current expenditures w^re $1,969.20.
In 1867 the salaries ranged from thirty-three to eighty dollars. The average
cost per pupil per annum for 1871 was $8.61. In 1875 the total receipts were
$15,010.71 and expenditures $13,875.74. Salaries ranged from thirty dollars
to one hundred dollars. For 1895 the report shows : receipts $15,838.74, expendi-
tures $15,484.29. For 1913 the receipts were $27,295.09 and expenditures $23,-
215.17. The salaries range from forty-five to one hundred forty-five dollars per
month.
ORGANIZATION AND ENROLLMENT.
From the records of County Superintendent, C. W. Cooper, we note that
in 1855 the enrollment numbered ninety-seven pupils. The teacher, Stephen
Connaton, observed the following program:
Open by hearing "A. B. C."
OF CATASAUQUA 135
Reading English Text.
Frost 's United States History.
Cobb's Third Reader.
' ' Spelling in and out of the book. ' '
Writing Copies.
Arithmetic.
Clap's Geography.
Grammar — occasionally.
Close with definitions.
Superintendent Tilghman Good records for teacher H. 0. Clark, 1856 :
Enrollment 43.
Pupils are well classed and instruction is given in writing, reading, grammar,
geography, arithmetic, and spelling. . .
Geography and grammar- are taught daily, except Saturday. . .
Tables as often as convenient. . .
Progress is slow — attention to books not good — teacher, competent.
The superintendent says of Miss Eliza McKee that her enrollment was 52
and that the attendance was regular, attention to study good, room clean, well
lighted and heated . . . Teacher, competent.
Mr. C. H. Russell enrolled 56 and Miss A. E. Butcher, 56. Of both these
teachers the records say that they were competent.
The total enrollment in 1868 was : High School, 35, and Grades, 527 scholars.
In 1869 the numbers were 40 and 674. The grand total of scholars in attendance
during 1871 was 833.
The course of study adopted under Superintendent J. 0. Knauss, 1877,
provided branches for Primary, Advanced Primary, Secondary, Grammar — First
Class and Second Class, and High School (two sections, with two classes in second
and three classes in first section) .
The total enrollment for the term ending June 30, 1914, is: High School
115 ; Grades 664.
The percentage of young people attending higher grades a score and more
years ago is much higher than at present on account of the many opportunities
for the youth of the present day to find employment in stores, factories and
offices not then in existence.
136 THE HISTOEY
HIGH SCHOOL.
The first High School teachers, Mr. W. MeParland and Miss Kate M. Smith,
were elected July 5, 1866. In 1867 a full four years' course of studies was
adopted. The first commencement exercises were held in June, 1868, and the
graduates were Alletta M. Barle and Frank M. Horn. Both graduated with
honors.
In 1873 the High School course comprised studies for three years' work.
First Year: Written Arithmetic, Writing, Grammar, Natural Philosophy, Alge-
bra, Geometry, Composition, Reading, Declamation, Drawing and Watts
on the Mind.
Second Year : Spelling, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, Physiology,
Algebra, Geometry, Composition, U. S. History, Drawing, Declamation.
Third Year: Spelling, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, U. S. History,
Algebra, and Map Drawing.
By way of comparison, in 1911, the following course of study was adopted
by the School Board for the High School :
Freshman Year:
1. English.
(a) English Grammar.
(b) English Composition.
(c) English Classics:
1. Irving 's Sketch Book.
2. Longfellow's Evangeline.
3. Cooper's Last of the Mohicans.
4. Hawthorne's Twice Told Tales.
2. Mathematics:
(a) Algebra.
(b) Concrete Geometry.
3. Science:
Physical Geography.
4. United States History and Civics.
5. Latin and German.
6. Mechanical Drawing (Elective).
OP CATASAUQUA
137
Sophomore Year
1.
Junior Year •
Senior Year :
English.
(a) English and American Literature.
(b) English Classics:
1. Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
2. Eliot's Silas Marner.
3. Scott's Ivanhoe.
4. Coleridge's Ancient Mariner.
2. Mathematics:
(a) Plane Geometry.
(b) Algebra.
3. Science :
Botany and Agriculture.
4. History:
Ancient and Mediaeval.
5. Latin and German.
6. Mechanical Drawing (Elective).
1. English.
(a) Rhetoric.
(b) English Classics:
1. Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
2. Carlyle's Essay on Burns.
3. "Webster's Reply to Hayne.
4. Tennyson's Idylls of the King.
2. Mathematics:
Solid Geometry (Elective).
3. Modern History (Elective).
4. Science:
Physics.
5. Latin and German.
6. Higher Algebra (Elective).
7. Mechanical Drawing (Elective).
1. English Classics:
1. Burke's Conciliation with the Colonies.
2. Milton's Minor Poems.
3. Shakespeare's Macbeth.
4. Webster's First Bunker Hill Oration.
138
THE HISTORY
Junior Year :
2. Mathematics:
(a) Review of Plane and Solid Geometry.
(b) Trigonometry or Commercial Arithmetic.
3. Science :
Chemistry or Commercial Geography.
4. History of England.
5. Latin and German.
6. Reviews.
COMMERCIAL COURSE.
1. Typewriting.
2. Stenography.
3. Bookkeeping and Office Practice.
4. English:
(a) Rhetoric.
(b) English Classics:
1. Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
2. Carlyle's Essay on Burns.
3. Webster's Reply to Hayne.
4. Tennyson 's Idylls of the King.
5. Commercial Arithmetic.
6. Commercial Spelling and Penmanship.
1. .Typewriting.
2. Stenography and Court Dictation.
3. Bookkeeping and Office Practice Work.
4. Commercial Law and Commercial Geography.
5. Business English and Business Forms.
6. Commercial Spelling.
7. Penmanship and Rapid Calculation.
This evolution did not come without struggle and difficulties.
August 30, 1879, the following preambles and resolutions, presented by Drs.
C. J. Keim and H. H. Riegel, were adopted by the Board :
"Whereas it appears from the Public prints of the day that the People
of the most intelligence and highest social position of the Borough of Catasauqua
are opposed to making the school that is now called the High School, a High
Senior Year :
OP CATASAUQUA 139
School in reality, and Whereas this Board is opposed to continuing the applica-
tion of the name of High School to a school that is not graded above a Grammar
school, and Whereas this Board does not feel justified in appropriating the
amount now appropriated for carrying on a Grammar school under the name
of Pligh School, and Whereas Mr. Ulrich has signified his willingness to resign
notwithstanding his election, therefore, Resolved that Mr. Ulrich be requested
to resign and that the school at present designated as the High School be abol-
ished and that the pupils in said school be transferred to the school at present
known as the Intermediate or second section of the High School and the name
of the said school be called the Graded Grammar School and the school be put
in charge of Mr. Morris for the present, and thereby save Eight Hundred and
Fifty Dollars ($850) to the tax payers of the Borough of Catasauqua. "
Four members of the Board voted in favor of the resolution and two opposed
it, however, afterward "it was agreed that further proceedings in the above pre-
ambles and resolutions be postponed," and the High School was saved to the
community.
Since the election of Mr. T. W. Bevan in 1882 and our present H. J. Rein-
hard in 1899, the High School course has been developed more and more until
to-day Catasauqua can be justly proud of a course which compares favorably
with the best in the country. Already, in 1886, Mr. Bevan was charged with
full- supervision of all the schools ; but since the completion of the High School
building H. J. Reinhard fills the office of Supervising Principal. This combines
the teaching forces of the Borough in such a way as to operate like one great
pedagogic mind upon the community.
Since 1912 the High School has added language, commercial, and scientific
courses not hitherto taught, and expanded its benefits to a full four years ' course.
COLORED CHILDREN.
■ The Board resolved, February 15, 1864, that Jacob Ross be authorized to
give private lessons to all negro children in this district over five years of age
that may apply for tuition. In May it was resolved that the small room adjoin-
ing and opening into the large room on the first floor of the Bridge Street build-
ing be appropriated to the accommodation of negro children of the district
140 THE HISTORy
applying for tuition, and that the teacher of said room also have the oversight
and training of these children committed to him.
THE BIBLE IN SCHOOL.
When we behold the wisdom and far-sightediless of the fathers who laid the
foundations upon which succeeding generations could contentedly build, we are
often amazed. They were not blind to their own good nor to the welfare of
their sons and daughters. They knew man is not all meat, nor an exclusive
bundle of brain cells, but that he is a living soul. They had respect for personal
peculiarities and doctrinal preferences and so provided for the reading of the
Scriptures, leaving it to the Divine Spirit to impress the individual heart as
is God's will.
In 1858, December 16th, the Board took action as follows : Whereas John
Porter has neglected wilfully the reading of the Scriptures in his school, which
is made imperative by the ruling of the Board, and whereas his conduct gener-
ally has not been of a character to inspire confidence. . .therefore resolved that
John Porter be dismissed from the office of teacher. . . .
The Board resolved, April 7, 1862, that the daily sessions of the schools
shall be opened with the reading of the Scriptures and that the scholars assume
a standing position during the reading. The law of the Commonwealth of Penn-
sylvania requires: — That at least ten verses from the Holy Bible shall be read,
or caused to be read, without comment, at the opening of each and every public
school, upon each and every school day by the teacher in charge ; Provided, That
where any teacher has other teachers under and subject to direction, then the
teacher exercising this authority shall read the Holy Bible, or cause it to be read,
as herein directed.
That if any school teacher, whose duty it shall be to read the Holy Bible,
or cause it to be read, as directed in this act, shall fail or omit so to do, said
school teacher shall, upon charges preferred for such failure or omission, and
proof of the same, before the governing board of the school district, be dischaged.
PATRIOTISM.
In 1864 the Board ordered the schools closed on the 18th of February in
order to afford the teachers an opportunity to assist at the supper given to the
OF CATASAUQUA 141
soldiers of the 46th regiment. An invitation by the Grand Array to participate
in the Memorial Day exercises in the spring of 1888 was accepted by all the
schools. For many years the school children trooped after the "old soldiers"
to Fairview cemetery. For the last six or eight years the High School classes
sang patriotics airs during the exercises of the Fuller Post.
The Washington Camp No. 301, P. 0. S. of A. placed a U. S. flag in each
school room in the Borough in the fall of 1888. On Thanksgiving Day, 1897,
the Jr. 0. U. A. M. presented and unfurled a flag for the new Lincoln Building
The Hon. W. C. Weiss, of Bethlehem, was the orator of the day. The one
hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln was observed by a fit-
ting celebration by all the schools gathered in the Lincoln Building, February
19, 1909.
TEACHERS' MEETING.
A meeting of the teachers with the directors of the Borough was held August
30, 1869. The object of the meeting was to afford an opportunity for mutual
exchange of opinion regarding sxibjects, subject matter and the best methods
of impartation. August 4, 1873, the Board resolved: That instead of a teachers'
institute in this district, the teachers shall form themselves into a class for the
purpose of general improvement ; that said class shall meet monthly in the H. S
Building and have exercises in Reading, Declamation, Grammar and such other
studies as may be deemed proper — said exercises shall be open to the Board of
Dirctors.
The desirable elements of the past have grown into imperative demands
for the willing minds of the present. For many years our teachers met once a
month at three o'clock P. M., for colo(|uies on school management and the study
of professional themes. In 1911 the teachers resolved to convene bi-weekly at
seven P. M. in order to study professional subjects, such as, Methods of Teach-
ing, Mistakes in Teaching, The School and its Life, Thinking and Learning to
Think, and many other kindred themes. Since the opening of the current term,
bi-weekly meetings are held on Tuesdays at four-thirty P. M. Kemp 's ' ' History of
Education" was adopted for systematic study. Our painstaking Supervising
Principal, who is in charge of the class, submits a series of searching questions
142 THE HISTORY
upon the subject- for each recitation. A general discussion is invited which con-
stantly brings to light the most practical deductions.
MONTHLY REPORTS.
Since 1873 teachers have been required to furnish the Board with monthly
reports giving the program of the school, the conduct and progress of each pupil
and any other data that may be deemed important. Monthly grade cards of
grades four to eight for the information of parents, and the enlistment of their
interest in their children as well as in the schools have been issued by the teach-
ers of those grades since 1868. The rubrics of the cards are arranged for a ten
months' service and provide spaces for the monthly signatures of parents or
guardians. Since the introduction of the National System of Records, 1911, cards
are issued for all the grades. Individual records of every pupil from his entrance
to his graduation are preserved in a permanent filing case.
MUSIC.
What was a matter of recreation, or an opportunity in days gone by, has now
become a scientific branch of study in our schools. Since 1893, when Mrs. S. K.
Brobst, of AUentown, was employed for the spring term at eight dollars per
month, the rudiments of vocal music have been taught. July 7, 1905, Miss M.
Adeline Davies was engaged as Supervisor and Instructor of Vocal Music. Miss
Davies is competent and diligent ; and the beneficial results of her labors are felt
in every church choir and all other musical organizations in the Borough.
PHYSICAL CULTURE.
"Mens Sana in sano corpore" is a motto that never grows old; and when
children are at school all but two months in a year, and that in a town where
the chores are light and indoors, there is all the more need of some form of
physical culture. In 1882 the Board directed that teachers give their pupils
some form of calisthenics. Our High School provides a room for some simple
apparatus which the older scholars may use. This department as well as that of
domestic and other applied sciences will receive closer attention in coming years.
THE MUSEUM.
The Hon. J. F. Moyer, a member of the State Legislature in 1901, procured
from the Philadelphia Museum a number of specimens of minerals, fabrics.
OP CATASAUQUA 143
curios, photos, showing the production of articles from raw materials, and pre-
sented them to the schools as a nucleus of our Museum. Botanical specimens,
products of the taxidermist's art and other materials are being added constantly,
which prove very profitable to the incjuiring mind.
CLOCK AND BELL.
After the erection of the building on Front Street, a fine tower-clock and
bell were placed into the steeple during the spring of 1869. When the building
was sold to the St. Lawrence T. A. B. Society, the clock was placed into the
steeple of the Town Hall. The old master of time keepers has however yielded
to the corroding elements and strikes the hours no more.
TUNNEL.
On April 18, 1910, the Crane Railroad Company was granted the privilege
of constructing a tunnel under a narrow strip of the school lot on Peach Street
and Howertown Avenue. In consideration of this favor the Railroad Company
paid into the school treasury three hundred thirty dollars.
CLASS DAYS.
Class Day exercises were authorized October 6, 1910. Caps and gowns for
commencement occasions were authorized March 5, 1906.
LECTURES.
On December 12, 1859, it was resolved: "That permission is hereby granted
to the Catasauqua Senate and Lecture Association to use the third story room
of the new building recently erected on Second Street, for their Lectures and
meetings on Friday evenings of every week, the said Association to keep the said
room and entry leading thereto in good order and condition. Said lectures or
meetings to commence with the lecture of Hon. H. D. Maxwell on Friday evening,
December 16 ; that such lecture be free to such scholars as are recommended by
the School Board." Since the completion of the High School auditorium, the
Alumni Association runs an annual entertainment and lecture course with signal
success. Six numbers constitute the course and only high class talent is em-
ployed. The Alumni number 566 and are filling responsible positions all over the
globe.
144 THE HISTORY
DEATHS IN THE BOARD.
Col. M. H. Horn was a man of exceptional usefulness and prominence in
the affairs of Catasauqua. In 1869 he was elected secretary of the School Board
and ' ' District Superintendent ' ' of the Schools. Through him many progressive
measures were promulgated. Upon his death in 1890 the Board authorized the
following minute :
' ' Resolved, That in the death of Col. M. H. Horn we feel the loss of one who
was foremost in the advancement of our Public Schools. To no man do we owe
more for the present high standing of our schools than to him. For thirty years
he was a member of the Board, was always to be relied on and an earnest advocate
of every good measure for the advancement of the schools of the Borough, a
generous companion, a good friend. ' '
The demise of another valued member of the Board occurred when Mr.
George Davies departed the scenes of this life. The action of the Board is ap-
pended :
"We, the remaining members of the Board, desire to put on record our con-
viction that in the death of Mr. Davies, the educational interests of Catasauqua
have suffered a heavy loss. The public schools have lost a liberal minded and a
liberal hearted patron, the teachers and pupils have lost a kind and considerate
friend, who was ever ready to promote their interests. In the School Board we
have always found in him a congenial associate, a wise and prudent counsellor, and
an enthusiastic advocate of every thing that seemed necessary for the improve-
ment of our schools. ' '
NIGHT SCHOOL.
In response to a petition signed by thirty-five patrons, the Board resolved,
March 3, 1913, to open a Night School. Provisions were made for a three months'
term, five nights per week and two hours for each session. The average attend-
ance was sixty-three. Three teachers were employed. The branches of study
included in the curriculum were Geometry, Commercial Arithmetic, Commercial
Spelling, Typewriting, Stenography, Bookkeeping and Mechanical Drawing.
The report submitted to the School Board showed that there are in this town
many persons of fine talents who crave advancement, but who are excised from
OF CATASATJQUA 145
educational advantages by the driving demands of a struggle for physical exist-
ence. It was determined, December 8, 1913, to open a four months ' term of Night
School in charge of three teachers and a Supervisor, during the first quarter of
1914. The average attendance was thirty-four.
The present School Board is composed of the following representative
citizens :
J. S. Stillman, President
C. H. Kiegel, Secretary
Edwin Chapman, Treasurer
J. S. Elverson
H. B. Weaver
R. D. Thomas
J. J. Williams
The teaching staff is composed of the following :
H. J. Reinhard, Supervising Principal
Gus. E. Oswald, Principal of High School
A. C. Lewis, Commercial Department
C. D. Hummel, Science Department
D. F. Gould, English Department
Sarah J. Mclntyre, Intermediate
Hannah Davis, A Grammar
F. H. Sheckler, A and B Grammar
Sarah McHenry, B Grammar
Margaret Tolan, B Grammar and A Secondary
Estella McKeever, A Secondary
Ella Tait, A and B Secondary
Mame Torrance, A and B Secondary
Mabel Weisley, B Secondary
Amanda Funk, B Secondary and A Primary
Sophia Matchette, A Primary
Mildred Heilman, A Primary
Mildred Lawall, B Primary
146
THE HISTORY
Helen Buck, B Primary
Jennie Helman, B and C Primary
Elizabeth Scott, C Primary
Mary Leiekel, C Primary
Mary McCandless, C Primary
M. Adaline Davies, Supervisor Music
Complete list of teachers who taught in the Catasauqua Schools :
App, Mary J., 1888-1890
Applegate, Anna D., 1906-1909
Butcher, Miss A. B., 1855-1856
Barton, W. H., 1858-1859
Bear, Charlotte, 1869-1873
Bear, Sarah, 1870-1878
Breder, E. H., 1870-1878
Bear, Eliza J., 1878-1884
Bear, Esther, 1873-1875
Beitel, C. H., 1878-1880
Benner, George H., 1880-1882
Barr, J. Frank, 1882-1884
Bevan, T. "W., 1882-1899
Bates, C. H., 1889-1890
Buck, A. H., 1902-1911
Buck, Helen K., 1911-
Brownell, C. A., 1912-1913
Connaton, Steven, 1854-1855
Clark, H. 0., 1855-1856
Clark, John, 1864-1865
Corwin, Jennie, 1864-1865
Craig, Mary M., 1880-1890
Clugston, Lizzie, 1884-1903
Corwin, Helen, 1905-1909
Duff, Mary, 1861-1863
Davis, Sarah, 1870-1883
DePue, Margaret, 1870-1875
Davis, Hannah, 1876-
DePue, John, 1879-1881
Downs, Hester, 1899-1911
Evans, Mary, 1861-1863
Ehl, J. Morris, 1887-1888
Eberhart, Laura, 1888-1889
Funk, Amanda, 1872-
Frederick, T. P., 1875-1878
George, M. 0., 1864-1865
Glick, Jennie, 1865-1866
Garber, A. P., 1865-1866
Gilbert, Hart, 1870-1871
Gould, D. F., 1913-
Hammersley, R. C, 1858-1864
Hammersley, Eliza, 1864-1871
Haldeman, W. H., 1866-1869
Hill, John, 1872-1875
Hammersley, Alice, 1879-1880
Helman, Laura, 1884-1906
Helman, Jennie, 1889-
Hummel, C. D., 1912-
Heilman, Mildred, 1913-
Kinsey, A. W., 1858-1873
OF CATASAUQUA
Kay, Sarah, 1876-1880
Kay, Alice M., 1879-1888
Kinyon, Jennie, 1889-1890
Knauss, J. 0., 1910-1912
Leibert, Margaret, 1858-1859
Lichtenwalner, Eeuben, 1860-1861
Leibert, Gwennie, 1861-1868
Lyttle, Robert A., 1869-1875
Lambert, Alice M., 1890-1898
Leickel, Mary L., 1909-
LawaU, Mildred, 1910-
Lewis, A. C, 1912-
McKee, Eliza, 1856-1868
McFarland, W., 1866-1867
McKibbon, Annie M., 1866-1868
Milson, Sallie, 1866-1871
McClean, Robert, 1868-1869
McMonegal, C, 1870-1873
Milson, Charlotte, 1872-1873
Mclntyre, Sarah J., 1873-
McClelland, Jane, 1873-1875
McMonegal, Kate, 1873-1879
McMonegal, Rebecca, 1873-1905
Morris, W. T., 1873-1882
Muschlitz, J. H., 1875-1902
McHenry, Sarah, 1880-
Moyer, J. F., 1882-1885
Mealy, Delia, 1883-1889
McKeever, Bstella, 1897-
McKeever, Emily, 1905-1910
147
McCandless, Mary, 1909-
Mitchell, Elizabeth, 1898-1906
Matchette, Sophia, 1909-
Oswald, Gus. E., 1913-
Phillips, Anna, 1858-1860
Porter, John, 1858-1859
Phillips, Naomi, 1859-1866
Pearson, Orantus, 1874-1876
Russell, C. H., 1856-1858
Quigg, Margaret, 1870-1879
Reich, Irene, 1870-1873
Reinhard, H. J., 1888-
Ulrich, A. N., 1872-1880
Sigley, Rebecca, 1862-1877
Smith, Anna, 1865-1888
Smith, Kate M., 1866-1904
Snyder, B. C, 1867-1871
Schrope, J. H., 1902-1902
Sheckler, P. H., 1906-
Scott, Elizabeth, 1909-
Snyder, Susan, 1912-1913
Tait, Ella, 1899-
Tolan, Margaret, 1902-
Torrance, Mame, 1893-
Wonderly, Lillie, 1866-1876
Wilson, Martha, 1869-1888
Williams, Cora D., 1890-1902
Williams, Lillian, 1890-1899
Witherow, Jean, 1893-1894
Weisley, Mable 0., 1904-
Wentz, Herbert, 1906-1906
148
THK JUSTORY
THE NORTH CATASAUQUA SCFIOOLS.
:^''
NORTH CATASAUQUA SCHOOL
Until reucutyears
the Borough of Nortli
Catasau(|im was a
part of Allen Town-
s h i p, Northampton
County. The chil-
dren of this coniinrn-
ity attended the town-
ship school at Dry
Kun. The building
which was a g'ood
model of the coiuitry
school house stood
near the southern approach to the trolley bridge that crosses Dry Run.
With the increase of population came the demand for larger school facil-
ities. The Board of Directors of the township purchased a plot of ground on
Second Street above Arch from the Faust estate and erected a two room frame
building upon it. This was called the Faust school.
At a later date a lot was bought at Fourth and Arch Streets and a one room
brick building was built thereon. Early in the nineties an extension of one room
and a cross section of two rooms were added. The schools of the Second Street
building were moved into these new and more commodious quarters. Some years
later another two room cross section was added, making the building a double T
shape. "And still they came."
North C'atasauqua grew rapidly. Everyone knew that something definite
had to be done. Public meetings were called. Addresses were delivered by
County Superintendent Grim and others. A imanimous ballot of the citizens of
the new Borough supported the resolution of the School Board to raze the old
building and erect in its stead a modern structure, and e(piip the same with
the most approved appliances. The Hoard purchased an additional hundred feet
of ground from the Deily estate, by which addition the whole plot now covers one-
OP CATASAUQUA
149
fourth of a square, and is located in a most beautiful section of the Borough.
Paul C. Miller, superintendent of the Bryden Horse Shoe Works, drew the
plans which provided for a ten room, two story brick building, strictly fire
proof. There is also provision made for a library, a directors' room and a large
auditorium. In the basement are play rooms, lavatories, boiler room, etc. The
building has a large front entrance and two side entrances; and there are two
stairways. It is heated by the Burt H. Harrison Aertube system whose fans also
operate the perfect ventilation of the building. The contract was awarded to the
stine Brothers of AUentown for twenty-four thousand six hundred dollars
($24,600).
Dedication exercises were held on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1913.
Nathan A. Bartholomew, Treasurer of the School Board, presided and delivered
the historical address. The other three orators of the occasion were Joseph
Kane, Pincipal of the North Catasauqua Schools, George Grim, Superintendent
of Schools of Northampton County, and William H. Schneller, Esq., Solicitor of
the North Catasauqua School District. The members of the Board were : Edwin
C. A. Rockel, President; Harry Steyert, Secretary; Nathan A. Bartholomew,
- Treasurer; Henry P. Webber and Robert P.
ilutman. The only changes in the Board
since then is the substitution of the name of
Charles H. Kosman for that of Mr. Rutman.
mg:
The teaching force consists of the foUow-
Joseph Kane, Principal, elected in 1907.
Elizabeth V. McNally, elected in 1901.
Martha Hammer, elected in 1913.
Mary F. Lichtenwalner, elected in 1913.
Edna G. Madtes, elected in 1907.
Agnes I. Souder, elected in 1910.
Minnie R. McCloskey, elected in 1902.
PROF. JOSEPH KANE
150 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER v.— FRATERNAL AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
CATASAUQUA LODGE, NO. 269.
I. 0. 0. P.
One of the oldest as well as the most influential fraternal organizations in
the Borough is the Independent Order Odd Fellows. Odd Fellow Lodge No. 269,
was instituted in the Eberhard Hall on Lower Front Street on Saturday evening,
November 6, 1847. Robert E. Wright, Sr., of AUentown, Pa., then D. D. G. M. of
Lehigh County, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, had
charge of the institution. The charter for the institution of the Lodge was
granted by the Grand Lodge on October 8, 1847. The Charter members were :
David Tombler, Samuel Colver, Reuben L. Seip, Daniel Siegfried, Aaron Bast,
William Biery, Reuben Patterson, Thomas Frederick and Joseph Troxell.
They were all initiated into Allen Lodge No. 71 of AUentown, Pa., for the
purpose of instituting Catasauqua Lodge. The first officers of Catasauqua Lodge
were: N. G., Reuben L. Seip; V. G., Aaron Bast; Secretary, Samuel Colver;
Assistant Secretary, David Tombler ; Treasurer, Nathan Frederick ; R. S. to V. G.,
Joseph Troxell ; R. S. to N. G., Thos. Frederick ; L. S. to N. G., Edw. Zitman ;
L. S. to V. G., Reuben Grafty; Conductor, William Biery; S. W., Daniel
Siegfried ; J. W., Reuben Patterson ; R. S. S., Charles Seem ; L. S. S., Joel Sterner ;
I. G., Absolem Stemer ; 0. G., William Stillwagen ; Trustees : Wm. Biery, Daniel
Siegfried, Thos. Frederick, David Tombler and Aaron Bast ; Reuben L. Seip, Rep.
to Grand Lodge. These officers were elected July 29, 1848.
The Odd Fellow Lodge first met in Eberhard Hall on Lower Front Street
from the date of its institution until September 11, 1852, when it moved into Wm.
Gross' Hall, now the bottling place of August Hohl. It occupied this hall until
the 4th of July, 1857, when it moved to the Lichtenwalner Hall. On Christmas
Day, 1857, the Lodge vacated Lichtenwalner Hall and rented Hunter's Hall on
Lower Second Street, where they remained until October 31, 1868. It was on
OF CATASAUQUA
151
October 31, 1868, that it was moved into Esch's Hall where the Lodge remained
until November 8, 1890, when it purchased the large brick church building,
situated on Front Street, from the Methodist Episcopal Congregation. The
building with its many small rooms and commodious auditorium has proved to be
the most pleasant place in which the Lodge has met. Recently the auditorium was
renovated. The many beautiful paintings, symbolic of the Order, which adorn
I. o. o. F
the walls, together with new oak furniture, make the Lodge room one of the
finest in the Lehigh Valley.
The present officers of the Lodge are : N. G., Russell Moyer ; V. G., A. C.
Lewis; Secretary, "Wm. Samuels; Financial Secretary, "Wm. F. Engler; Treas-
urer, Stuart H. Hauser ; R. S. to N. G., R. C. Weaver ; L. S. to N. G., B. Harrison
152
THE HISTORY
Porter ; R. S. to V. G., John Gillespie ; L. S. to V. G., Russell Wilkinson ; Warden,
John W. Keys; Conductor, Robert Bowen; R. S. S., Samuel Stolz; L. S; S.,
James Kendig; I. G., Raymond Laubach; 0. G., Daniel Gillespie; Chaplain,
Wm. H. Smith ; P. G., Chas. Frederick ; Trustees : Wm. H. Scanlin, Wm. H. Hop-
kins and H. W. Stolz; Rep. to G. L., Jno. Williams; Rep. to 0. H., Wm. H.
Scanlin ; Custodian, John Williams ; Pianist, Wm. T. Scanlin.
Catasauqua Lodge meets every Saturday evening at 7 P M.
PORTER LODGE, NO. 284, F. AND A. M.
Porter Lodge, No. 284, P. and A. M., was instituted by D. D. G. M. James M.
Porter, of Easton (after whom the Lodge was named), January 30, 1854, at 3.30
P. M. The corps of Grand Officers had constituted Bethlehem Lodge, No. 283,
the day before, and Porter Lodge was the first Lodge they instituted in Lehigh
County. The resident brethren were mostly members of Easton Lodge, No. 152,
OF CATASAUQUA 153
who always traveled to Easton by means of Brother Robert Melntyre's four horse
team, whose enthusiasm in the Order induced him to furnish it at stated meetings.
The Charter members were : Robert Mclntyre, Levi Graft, James McCleary,
August H. Gilbert, Chas. H. Nolf, Franklin B. Martin, Charles Allen, William
Goetz, William Biery, James Clugston and James W. Fuller. The first sessions of
the Lodge were held in the Romich building. Front and Church Streets. Then
for thirty years the Lodge met in the Fuller Block, Front and Church Streets, and
later in the Reis Building, No. 513 Front Street, which building the Lodge pur-
chased and especially fitted for Lodge, Chapter and club purposes, making it
one of the most prominent society buildings in the Valley. Five hundred sixty
brethren have been initiated into the Lodge, from which number Barger Lodge,
No. 333 of Allentown ; Slatington Lodge, No. 440 ; Manoghasy Lodge, No. 413 of
Bath; Lehigh Lodge, No. 326 of Trexlertown; and Allen Lodge, No. 673 of
Allentown drew charter members for organization.
During the existence of the Lodge, Dr. D. Yoder served as Treasurer forty-
seven years and Edmund Randall twenty-seven years as Secretary, which records
for long and faithful services are quite unusual.
The present membership is two hundred. The following brethren are the
present officers : John W. Walker, W. M. ; Frederick K. Constable, S. W. ; Fred-
erick I. Walker, I. W. ; Roland T. Davies, Treasurer ; David Davis, Secretary ;
Dr. H. H. Riegel, H. E. Graffin and Allen T. Heckman, Trustees. Porter Lodge
meets the first Friday in the month.
FRATERNITY ENCAMPMENT, NO. 1.56.
I. 0. 0. P.
Fraternity Encampment, No. 156, Independent Order Odd Fellows of Cata-
sauqua, Pa., was instituted Thursday evening, June 6, 1867, in Hunter's Hall,
on Second Street, by Franklin Smith, D. D. G. P. of Lehigh County under the
jurisdiction of the Grand Encampment of Pennsylvania.
The Charter for the institution of the Encampment was granted by the
Grand Encampment on May 20, 1867. The Charter members were : George
Bowers, M. H. Horn, David Tombler, A. F. Koons, Frederick M. Eagle, Daniel
Gillespie, F. F. Giering, Henry Souders, Aaron Snyder, John Hunter, Henry
154 THE HISTORY
Eckensberger, Franklin Bower, Philip Storm, William Biery and James Hutchin-
son.
The first officers of Fraternity Encampment, No. 156, I. 0. 0. F., were:
C. P., George Bower ; H. P., M. H. Horn ; Senior Warden, David Tombler ; Junior
Warden, Daniel Gillespie ; Scribe, A. F. Koons ; Treasurer, Frederick M. Eagle ;
Guide, Henry Souders; First Watch, William Biery; Second Watch, John
Hunter; Third Watch, F. F. Giering; Fourth Watch, Henry Eckensberger;
I. S., Aaron Snyder; 0. S., Philip Storm; Guards of Tent, Franklin Bower and
James Heberling ; Trustees : Henry Eckensberger, F. F. Giering, William Shoen-
berger.
Fraternity Encampment meets in the Odd Fellows' Hall on Front Street,
having a part ownership in the building. While the membership of the Lodge is
not so large, yet it does a great work in alleviating the sorrows and distresses
among its members. The present officers are: C. P., Joseph McKeever; H. P.,
Samuel H. Danner ; S. W., Robert McKeever ; J. W., B. Harrison Porter ; Scribe,
William Samuels ; Treasurer, H. W. Stolz ; 0. S., William J. Evans, Sr. ; I. S.,
John W. Keys; Guide, H. W. Stolz; First Watch, George Stettler; Second
Watch, R. F. Moyer; Third Watch, Samuel Stolz; Fourth Watch, Harrison
Smith ; First Guard to Tent, Raymond Daubach ; Second Guard to Tent, Staurt
H. Hauser; Trustees: R. F. Case, William J. Evans, Sr., and M. J. Troxell.
p. 0. S. OF A.
P. 0. S. of A. No. 152 was organized in 1868. For a number of years the
Camp was very prosperous, taking a large place in the social life of the town. In
1872 the National Camp of the P. 0. S. of A. was instituted in Allentown. The
local Camp took a prominent part in the ceremonies and the parade.
Towards the end of the Panic of 1873, many men were unable to find work
here and they sought employment in other places. Very few of the members of the
organization were left and, because of this, the Camp ceased to exist. The records
show that sixty dollars remained in the treasury. The only other property was
the hall furniture.
On March 15, 1888, Washington Camp No. 301 was organized. Interest in
the reorganization was aroused by the members of the original Camp. The old
OP CATASAUQUA
155
fj-aternal tics wore strong and they felt that no otliei' oi'g'anization eould take
tlie phice of the P. 0. S. of A. Sixty-eight eliarter ineni))eivs were enrolled. Tliat
miiuber has gi'own so that at the pi'esent time there are two hundred ten pa-
ti'iotie Sons of Ameriea in the Camp as earnestly following the tlag during the
days of jieaee as did the eai'lier pati'iots dnring the periods of national danger.
The prosperity of Washington ("amp made it possible, in 1895, to purchase
the Swartz property on l-Jridge Street. In 1902 the building was remodeled into
p. O. S. OF A. HALL
one of the most modern lodge edifices in this vicinity. The large meeting room
is on the third floor and the bancpiet hall is on the second floor. Two stores
occupy the fii'st floor and the remaining rooms are used as offices. The property
is valued at twenty thousand dollars. Washington Gamp No. 301 is known as
the richest in the county.
The membei'ship is composed of the best of ('atasau(iua 's citizens, all born
156 THE HISTORY
on American soil. These men by their genuine interest in the organization and
the principles for which it stands have been a powerful factor for good in the
community. No body of men has done more towards arousing a love for the
home community and the Nation, and in raising high the principles of good
citizenship and loyalty to the land over which the Stars and stripes float than
Washington Camp of the P. 0. S. of A.
IMPROVED ORDER OP REDMEN.
On the 5th Sun of Hot moon G. S. D. 382, or the 5th day of June, 1873,
G. C. of R., Andrew J. Baker ; D. G. S., Bieber ; P. S., Thomas K. Donnally of
Tribe No. 18 ; and Jas. Gadds of No. 106, kindled a Council Fire in Catasauqua
for the purpose of instituting a Tribe of The Improved Order of Redmen. There
were twenty charter members. Having instituted and raised its members to the
Chieftains' Council, an election was held with the following result: Thomas
James, Prophet; William Wallace, Sachem; Teyschen Thomas, Senior Sachem;
Frank Gorman, Junior Sachem; John Evans, Chief of Records; and David A.
Tombler, Jr., Keeper of Wampum. The first order for paraphernalia amounted
to two hundred twenty-four dollars. The tribe continued for a period of eight
years. According to the minute book of that time, Brein Mealy moved to dis-
continue business from March 12, 1881.
Seven years later, March 10, 1888, G. S., Thomas D. Tanner and P. S., John
Manning of Tribe No. 84 and the members of Tribes Nos. 84 and 201 met in
Schneller's Hall for the purpose of relighting the Council Fire of No. 204 Im-
proved Order of Redmen, with the following members of the first tribe in wait-
ing: Charles G. Morgan, John L. Jones, Frederieh H. Richter, Edwin Jones,
Alfred Jones, Wm. Howells, and Jacob V. Buskirk. At this meeting the fol-
lowing Palefaces were duly adopted and exalted to the Chieftains' Council:
David Morrow, Alex. Morrow, Robert McNabb, John Howells, Jacob Lewis,
Harry Parrock, Albert Morris, Wm. Jones, Thomas C. Davis, Archie McFetridge,
Thomas W. Williams, John McCandless, Wm. McCandless, Ashable Schirer,
James Morrow, and Robert Clugston. The officers of this Tribe were : J. Y. Bus-
kirk, Prophet; Robert McNabb, Sachem; Wm. McCandless, S. Sachem; David
Morrow, J. Sachem ; Chas. D. Morgan, Chief of Records ; and John McCandless,
OF CATASAUQUA ^ 57
Keeper of Wampum. The trustees were: John ]j. Jones, Wm. Howells, and J.
Van Buskirk. The appointed offices were filled by the Sachem as follows : First
Sen., Jas. Morrow; Second Sen., Robert Clugston; Guard of Wigwam, Albert
Morris; Guard of Forest, Thos. W. Williams; First Warrior, John L. Jones;
Second Warrior, Alex Morrow; Third Warrior, Alfred Jones; Fourth War-
rior, Harry Parrock; First Brave, Frederich H. Richter; Second Brave, Edwin
Jones; Third Brave, Wm. Howells; Fourth Brave, Thomas C. Davies.
The present membership has reached almost the four hundred twenty-five
mark. The members at all times have taken an active part in the work, espe-
cially the degree work, which has attained a high standard in this tribe. The"
team has on many different occasions been called to sister Tribes to confer de-
grees on Palefaces, and it is said that the degree master could at any time call
on enough members to form three teams to confer degrees.
There are thirty-nine Past Sachems in good standing. During the past
twenty-six years, the Great Spirit has called twenty members to the Happy
Hunting Ground.
During this last period of Council Fires, the receipts from all sources were
$32,210.43 and the total expenditures $32,097.91. Investments in Water and
School Bonds amount to $7,250.00; and in paraphernalia, $1400.00. The total
paid out for relief was $12,993.00 ; sick benefits, $10,936.30, and death benefits
$2,056.70. The current expenses for this period were $8,855.00.
The elective and appointive officers of the Tribe at the present time are:
Prophet, Jacob Moyer; Sachem, Wm. Gillespie; Junior S., James Gillespie;
Senior S., James Troxell; Chief R., Calvin D. Peters; Chief W., Wm. S. Dilcher ;
Keeper W., Harry R. Young; First S., Jno. Peters; Second S., Wm. Heilman;
Guard W., Samuel Wolfe; Guard F., Burton Piper; Warriors: Chas. King, H.
McFetridge, Jno. Dougherty, Wm. Eastman. Braves : Chas. Miller, Wm.
Dougherty, Geo. Merseh, Roland Elliott. Pianist, Wm. T. Scanlin. Trustees :
Daniel Gillespie, Wilson Scott, George Fehnel. Representative to G. C, Robert
Montgomery; alternate, Wm. T. Scanlin. Catasauqua Tribe meets every
Thursday evening at seven-thirty o'clock.
158 THE HISTORY
RBBEKAH LODGE.
Orpah Rebekah Lodge, No. 159, was organized in the I. 0. 0. F. Hall in
June, 1887. At that time the hall was in the Esch Building. On July 6, 1887, it
was instituted by James B. Nicholson, P. G. Sire, the first officers having
been : Alex. Morrow, N. G. ■ Lizzie Clugston, V. G. ; William H. Scanlin, Secre-
tary; Charles R. Horn, Treasurer.
The Rebekah Lodge is a branch of the I. 0. 0. P., and draws for its mem-
bership as follows : All Odd Fellows, their wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters ;
and all unmarried white women over eighteen years of age. Its ob.ject is two-
fold : First, care for the widows and especially the orphans of Odd Fellows dur-
ing sickness and distress ; Second, the social welfare of its members and friends.
The present membership in good standing is sixty-seven. The officers for
1914 are: Rose Laubach, P. G.; Ella Hopkins, N. G.; Agnes Smith, V .G.;
William H. Scanlin, Secretary; Mary Struebing, Treasurer; Annie H. Scanlin,
Chaplain ; Margaret Gillespie, Conductor ; Eva Hopkins, Warden ; Jennie Miller,
R. S. V. G. ; Emma Williams, L. S. V. G. ; Ann Jones, R. A. S. ; Lucy Bachman,
L. A. S. ; William Ritter, I. G. ; Daniel Gillespie, 0. G. ; Emma Weaver, Agnes
Bennett, Emily Knoll, Trustees.
The meetings are held the first and the third Tuesday evening of each month
in the I. 0. 0. F. Hall, on Front Street.
GATASAUQUA CASTLE NO. 241, KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.
Catasauqua Castle No. 241, K. G. E., was instituted January 30, 1888.
Through the efforts of the late Captain Edwin Gilbert, Jacob Van Buskirk,
George Conrade and other citizens of Catasauqua, preliminary meetings were
held at the Mansion House, of which Alfred Fry was proprietor, and afterwards
in Applegate's Hall. The castle was finally instituted in Knights of Friendship
Hall by W. W. Wetzel, District Grand Chief of Lehigh County, with a staff of
Grand Officers selected from the castles of his jurisdiction, on January 30, 1888,
with 43 charter members.
The first officers of the castle were : Past Chief, Edwin Gilbert ; Noble Chief,
George Conrade ; Vice Chief, J. S. McFetridge ; High Priest, Thomas McAllister ;
Venerable Hermit, Lewis Bloss; Master of Records, Jacob Van Buskirk; Clerk
OF CATASAUQUA 159
of Exchequer, 'Wilsoii J. Smith; Keeper of Exchequer, Charles Phillips; Sir
Herald, John Maguire.
The appointed officers were : Worthy Bard, A. H. Newman ; Worthy Cham-
berlain, William Scanlin ; Ensign, Thomas Aubrey ; Esquire, Prank H. Wilson ;
First Guardsman, Wilson F. Ritter; Second Guardsman, Robert Rockel.
The first two regular meetings of the castle were held in Applegate's Hall.
Finding the room too small for the rapid increase of its membership, efforts were
made to lease the Knights of Friendship 's Hall, where the castle was instituted.
They finally succeeded and the first regular meeting was held there February
20, 1888. The castle continued to meet here till Nov. 17, 1890, when an offer
was received from Washington Camp No. 301, P. 0. S. of A., who occupied the
hall in the old Bank Building on Front Street. Having an opportunity to secure
cheaper rent, the castle accepted, and the first meeting was held there Nov. 24,
1890. The castle remained the tenants of the P. 0. S. of A. until April 1, 1896,
when Fuller Post No. 378, G. A. R., leased the hall. The castle became their
tenants and remained the same until January 13, 1902.
Washington Camp No. 301, P. 0. S. of A., bought the Swartz property on
Bridge Street and made extensive improvements, including a large lodge room
on the third story. Finding the old quarters getting too small again for the
rapid growth of the order, the castle finally leased the hall of the P. 0. S. of A.,
and became their tenants again January 13, 1902, and remained the same to this
time.
There were initiated into the mysteries of the order liy Catasauqua Castle
during its 26 years of existence 515 candidates, reinstated 27, admitted by card
1, suspended 269, and deceased 38, leaving a membership at present of 229.
The receipts of the castle from January 30, 1888, to January 1, 1914, were
$41,648.05. Of this amount $22,258.30 was paid for sick benefits and burial
of the dead; $8,836.43 for working expenses, and $1,484.15 for paraphernalia
and furniture.
The castle has invested in the Catasauqua, Lehigh and Home Building
Associations, in the, Lehigh National Bank, and in Bands and Mortgages
$8,430.00 ; and a balance in the hands of the Keeper of Exchequer of $329.17.
The total valuation of the castle is $10,243.32.
160 THE HISTORY
The present officers of the castle are : Past Chief, Clarence F. Bartholomew ;
Noble Chief, Henry Kingcaid; Vice Chief, Edgar N. Meyer; High Priest,
George Smith ; Venerable Hermit, Clayton Erdell ; Master of Records, Nathan A.
Bartholomew ; Clerk of Exchequer, John P. Bartholomew ; Keeper of Bxcheuqer,
Rufus W. S. Wint; Sir Herald, Wayne Prantz; Worthy Bard, Charles Kurtz;
Worthy Chamberlain, Edwin C. Nagle; Ensign, Elwood Bartholomew; Esquire,
Adam Preund; First Guardsman, Jacob Moyer; Second Guardsman, Alfred S.
Daniel; Trustees, Charles L. Heckman, Jacob Moyer, Henry Bachman; Repre-
sentative to the Grand Castle, Nathan A. Bartholomew.
The order of Knights of the Golden Eagle was founded by John E. Burbage.
in Baltimore, Maryland, Feb. 6, 1873, and was introduced into the State of
Pennsylvania Oct. 1, 1875.
The primary objects of the Order are to promote the principles of true
benevolence, by associating its members together for the trials and dififieulties
attending sickness, distress and death, so far as they may be mitigated by sym-
pathy and pecuniary assistance ; to care for and protect the widows and orphans
of members ; to assist those out of employment, to encourage each other in busi-
ness, and by wholesome precepts, fraternal counsel, and social intercourse to
elevate the membership and advance it to a higher and nobler life.
OKDER KNIGHTS OP FRIENDSHIP.
The Order Knights of Friendship is a benevolent, social and patriotic or-
ganization based upon the fundamental principles drawn from its motto : Char-
ity, Friendship, Companionship, and Knowledge.
The Packer Chamber No. 21 was instituted in Catasauqua, March 20, 1888.
Some of the most prominent and influential men of town and vicinity became
charter members of the Order.
On the 10th of May, 1910, a new Chamber was instituted under the honor-
able title of David Thomas Chamber No. 72.
This chamber is in a flourishing condition. It meets on Tuesday evening
of each week in the P. 0. S. of A. Hall.
OF CATASAUQUA ^^1
THE ST. LAWRENCE T. A. B. SOCIETY.
The St. Lawrence Total Abstinence and Beneficial Society was organized
May 25, 1890. The first officers were: Spiritual Director, Rev. B. J. Conway;
President, Thomas Quinn; Vice President, John Crowley; Secretary, Robert J.
Melntyre; Treasurer, John O'Neil; Marshall, Edward Sweeney. The Inves-
tigating Committee consisted of John O'Donnell, Thomas Small, and Edward
Sweeney ; the Stewards were James Fisher, Anthony Farrell, and Michael
O'Laughlin. The other charter members were: James Connell, Peter Quinn,
Thomas Fisher, Dennis J. Dougherty, Michael O'Mara, James T. Cunningham,
and Hugh Conahan.
These men banded themselves together that their united efforts might ad-
vance the interests of total abstinence. In addition to this primary object, they
planned to carry out social and beneficial projects. All three lines of effort have
been largely realized.
Until September 14, 1900, the Society met in different places. Very often
they gathered over the store of Thomas Quinn at the corner of Front and
Walnut Streets. At that time they purchased from the Catasauqua Public
School District a two story brick school building on Front Street. This has been
used for the regular meetings, which are held the second Monday of each month,
and for social gatherings. During the winter months ,it has been the scene of
many a basketball contest. For a number of years the Society has supported a
strong basketball team which has played games with the best amateur teams
of this section.
JR. 0. u. A. M.
No Surrender Council, No. 103 of Jr. 0. U. A. M., was organized December
18, 1881, with a charter membership of twenty-six. The first meeting was held
in Hunter 's Hall on Second Street.
Paramount among its objects for existence are to encourage the reading of
the Holy Bible in the public schools and to raise the American flag over the
school buildings. The local council has proven its sincerity by presenting flags
to the schools of this and surrounding towns.
162
THE HISTORY
For the relief of the sick and distressed, the organization has a beneficial
department wliich has paid out nearly twenty thoiisand dollars. The prosperity
of No Surrender Council has lieen such that a magnificent hall has been erected
on Front Street. This is a credit to the Order and the town.
The present membership is two hundred. Those holding official positions
are: Councilor, Harrison Smith; Vice Councilor, George Williams; Recording
' jko.o:«;m. ; :
JR. O. U. A. M.
Secretary, Edwin Steyert; Assistant Secretary, Raymond Porter; Financial
Secretary, Reuben Weaver; Treasurer, William TI. Smith; Conductor, RolaJid
Kurtz; Inside Sentinel, William M. Kane; Outside Sentinel, Charles A. Smith;
Chaplain, James Beltz; Junior Past Councilor, Charles F. Eisle ; Trustees,
Samuel Gemmel, Harrison Porter and Elmer Kingcaid.
OF CATASAUQUA 163
CATASAUQUA EOYAL AECH CHAPTEE, NO. 278.
Royal Ar^h Chapter, No. 278, was constituted April 11, 1894, by M. E.
Grand High Priest Edgar A. Tennis and Grand Officers, in Masonic Hall, with
the following charter members: John B. Davis, M. E. High Priest; Abraham
F. Koons, King; Charles D. W. Bower, Scribe; Dr. Daniel Yoder, Treasurer;
Edmund Randall, Secretary; Dr. Henry H. Riegel, Owen F. Fatzinger, Charles
R. Horn, Charles W. Chapman, Allen S. Heckman, William W. McKee, Edwin
C. Koons, Morgan Emanuel, John Matchette, and William R. Thomas, Sr. Seven
of these brethren have since passed away. Two Hundred twenty -three companions
have been exalted, the Chapter furnishing charter members for Slatington R. A.
Chapter, No. 292, and Siegfried R. A. Chapter, No. 295, and having a present
enrollment of one hundred fourteen members.
ST. SYBIL RUSSIAN ORTHODOX SOCIETY.
Assembly No. 16 of the St. Syril Russian Society was organized February
10, 1895, with seventeen Charter members. The cherished aim of kindred Orders
that aid and protect their own was the fond ambition of the Russian Orthodox
people in and around Catasauqua. The specific purpose of Assembly No. 16
was the founding of a Church of their faith. This they happily accomplished
in 1899. The Society now numbers one hundred eighty members, and has one
thousand ($1000) dollars in its treasury.
The present officers are : Andrew Wasco, President ; John Smajda, Secre-
tary ; John M. Kvesach, Treasurer.
KNIGHTS OF MALTA.
The Ancient and Illustrious Order of Knights of Malta instituted the Bruce
Commandery, No. 214, on December 21, 1896. From that time until the present,
it has had a steady and healthful growth, the membership having reached one
hundred sixteen.
Both local and national organizations may look back with pride upon the
past. They are the direct descendants of one of the most knightly Orders. They
inherit all that made for good in the illustrious, religious and military Order of
the Middle Ages. Fraternal, military, religious and beneficial principles are
164 ' THE HISTORY
the basis of their existence. This heritage from the Crusades has been an in-
vigorating and refreshing thought to its members; a shining and attractive in-
fluence in drawing the best type of men towards the Order.
Fraternally, it has been a very strong factor in the life of this community.
Finest and greatest of the services of this Order has been its beneficial work.
Here it has been a watchful guardian over its membership. The benefits are
five dollars for each week of disability, and one hundred dollars in case of death.
Because of the income from invested funds of three thousand dollars, the dues
are only twelve cents each week.
The Bruce Commandery meets on each Wednesday evening in the P. 0. S.
of A. Hall, Bridge Street.
ORDER OP SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM.
The Order of Shepherds of Bethlehem of North America was founded and
instituted at Trenton, N. J., by Mrs. Eva A. Wychoff, November 9, 1896. Ar-
ticles of Incorporation were taken out by Mrs. Wychoff and her associates, who
determined that this body shall afford the greatest protection and the most
liberal benefits of any similar institution. Their insurance feature means One
Hundred Dollars per member.
The Star of Catasauqua Lodge, No. 80, was organized nine years ago with
thirty charter members. Their present membership, in good standing, is ninety.
CATASAUQUA CLUB.
The Catasauqua Club was originally organized as a Wheelmen's Club on
April 6, 1897, and had a very delightful season as a Bicycle Club. When winter
approached, it was deemed advisable to continue the pleasant social relations, and
the present Catasauqua Club was chartered at the first meeting of the Club,
held October 11, 1897.
The following officers were elected : Frank M. Horn, President ; R. S. Weav-
er, Secretary; C. R. Horn, Treasurer; these gentlemen with Leonard Peekitt,
James W. Fuller, Jr., L. H. McHose, Herman Schneider, James M. Lennon,
R. J. Mclntyre, and D. T. Williams forming the first Board of Governors.
The Club has been in successful operation since. The old Emanuel residence
OP CATASAUQUA 165
was bought and transformed into a cozy Club House, and a very well equipped
bowling alley, which has been a source of much pleasure, was added. Many in-
teresting tournaments have been held with clubs from neighboring towns, and
among the Club members. The old round table in the cafe has been the center
of many pleasant gatherings, when great questions were seriously discussed and
the affairs of nations settled to the satisfaction of all present.
The Club has always been very popular among the men of Catasauqua and
pleasant memories of it are cherished by former members who are scattered far
and wide.
ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL SOCIETY.
Assembly No. 369 of the St. Peter and St. Paul Society of the Slavonic
National Organization of the United States of America was instituted February
3, 1901. The prime movers in the organization of this local Chapter were Michael
Mayernik, John Fisher and Walter Borowsky. The St. Peter and St. Paul So-
ciety is the oldest of the Slavonic Orders in this country. The officers of As-
sembly No. 369 are : Joseph Yurko, President ; Nicholas Grayt2ar, Secretary ;
John Smajda, Treasurer.
AUQUASAT CLUB.
In September, 1907, the Auquasat Club, a social organization of young
men of Catasauqua and vicinity, was organized with quarters on the second floor
of the building now occuiped by Deemer & Litzenberger, electrical contractors.
Shortly after, on account of a fire which destroyed all their possessions, they
secured their present quarters which consist of two handsomely furnished club
rooms, together with an elegant ball room on the second floor of the P. 0. S. of
A. Building, No. 119 Bridge Street.
The club enjoys a membership of thirty resident and twenty non-resident
members, who are all prominent young men in this community and other com-
munities.
Frequent social affairs are held which afford a great deal of pleasure to
the members and their friends.
THE CHABOTIN CLUB.
The Charotin Club was organized in 1907 with a membership of about eighty
congenial people fond of social pleasures. They leased the rooms in the third
166 THE HISTORY
story of the Post Office Building, where every wintet since, frequent gatherings
have been held.
This club has been very successfully managed and has added materially to
the attractive social life of the town. Visitors to Catasauqua have carried away
very pleasant recollections of courtesies extended them by the members of this
club, and the organization has become one of the institutions of the town. The
present oflSeers of the club are: James Sydney Stillman, President; Paul B.
Miller, Secretary; H. J. Weidinger, Treasurer.
THE LYCEUM CLUB.
In the spring of 1909, certain young men of town, desirous of organizing
themselves into a body for the purpose of intellectual betterment, held a pre-
liminary meeting April 13, 1909; the result of which was the formation of the
Lyceum Club. Through energetic co-operation thirty-three young men were in-
duced to enroll as members and on May 1 of the same year the Lyceum was
constituted, and secured as their quarters the two large rooms over the jewelry
store of J. C. Beitel & Son, Front and Bridge Streets. The first officers of the
Club were: John Frederick, President; John Edgar, Vice-President; Stuart
Hauser, Secretary; and John S. Matchette, Treasurer.
It was on January 1, 1912, that the organization moved to more commodious
quarters in the Edgar building, on Front Street, where they have remained up
to this time. Programs are rendered in the rooms and include debates, addresses,
discussions in conjunction with musical numbers and social features.
The present officers are : Robert E. McKeever, President ; Charles Hopkins,
Vice-President; Edward Sandbrook, Secretary; and Ralph F. Faust, Treasurer.
Of the original thirty-three members there remain six who are still active in
the affairs of the Club, and the present membership is forty.
BRYDEN GUN CLUB.
The Bryden Gun Club was organized April 29th, 1909, for the purpose of
providing recreation and enjoyment of the manly sport of Trap Shooting, a sport
that has quality which must be experienced to be appreciated.
The Club has a membership of fifty-seven energetic men, all true sportsmen.
OP CATASAUQUA
167
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168 THE HISTOEY
Through their own efforts and labor they constructed and furnished their own
Club-House, which is free from all encumbrance.
The Bryden Gun Club has taken a place among the leaders of successful
Gun Clubs in the Bast and their Annual Registered Tournaments are looked
forward to with pleasure as they have the reputation for conducting their Tourna-
ments in a most satisfactory and businesslike manner, and their hospitality and
good fellowship is known and commented on far and wide.
The grounds are situated in an ideal location for target shooting, having
nothing but a clear sky for a back ground. Several good records have been made
there, among which might be mentioned a Pennsylvania State Record made by
Neaf Apgar, who broke 422 Taregts out of 425, and had a straight run of 236
unfinished; J. Mowell Hawkins, 216 straight unfinished; John Englert, 141
straight unfinished; Allen S. Heil, 100 straight unfinished.
The officers of the Club are as follows : Granville Brown, President ; George
Silfies, Vice-President; Harry Steyert, Treasurer; Edgar C. Jones, Secretary;
Webster Hepner, Captain; J. B. McClister and John Haines, Trustees.
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD.
The Catasauqua Camp No. 250 Woodmen of the World was instituted June
30, 1910, by the district deputy. Prank E. Leonard, assisted by the degree
team of Alpha Camp No. 232, Pullerton, Pa. The Charter membership numbered
fifty-five.
Besides striving for the mutual protection of their members in sickness or
distress, and helpfulness to the bereaved in case of death, the Order covenants
to erect monuments to the memory of their deceased brethren. Thus far two
shafts have been erected by them in Fairview Cemetery.
The Catasauqua Camp now numbers 202 members. The Supreme Council
throughout the United States and Canada now numbers 900,000 loyal devotees
and there is a surplus fund in the treasury of over $28,000,000.
DEGREE OP POCAHONTAS.
The Catasauqua Council No. 212, Degree of Pocahontas, Improved Order of
Red Men, was organized on the sleep of the 25th Sun, Plant Moon, G. S. D. 422,
OF CATASAUQUA 169
or April 25th, 1913, by Past Sachem, William S. Dilcher, with fifty-four charter
members.
This Order has grown rapidly inasmuch as it has enjoyed fully the confidence
of the community. Its cherished principles are Freedom, Friendship and
Charity.
DOYAL ORDER OP MOOSE.
Catasauqua Lodge, No. 1362, Loyal Order of Moose, was instituted by M. M.
Shea, National Director, on June 29, 1913. The charter was granted by the
Court of Lehigh County on January 19, 1914. During the formation of the
Lodge and up until May 1, 1914, the place of meeting was in Odd Fellows'
Hall on Front Street. On the above date, the organization bought the Fatzinger
property, No. 754, Front Street, for seven thousand dollars and equipped it for
Lodge purposes. Since its formation it has had two deaths and paid $346.28 in
benefits.
On May 1, 1914, one hundred seventy-five members were installed by
J. J. Blackman. This speaks well for so young an organization and surely
indicates a bright future for it. The present officers are : Josiah Steckel, Past
Die. ; George Kemmerer, Die. ; E. A. Hassler, Vice-Die. ; B. J. Rodger, Tres. ;
E. J. Lynch, Sec; Edward Fenstermaker, 0. G. ; Ed. Bartz, S. G. ; M. Smith,
Prelate; W. F. Kessler, Serg.-at-Arms ; R. 0. Heilman, Frank Fatzinger and
P. V. Snyder, Trustees.
TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.
In his solicitude for the general welfare of the people, especially the uplift
of the youth of the community. Father Thomas strongly urged and liberally
supported a temperance movement during the early days of the Borough.
The temperance association was divided into the "George Crane Division" for
adults, and the "Crystal Fount Section" for boys. The original Fire Hall,
located on Second Street, where the Crane stables are, was the place of meeting.
Men and boys of a certain age who did not belong to the association were
obliged to give reason why they did not join. It seems the general moral tone
of the Borough was so elevated that it did not require the special censorship of the
temperance society. The association of pioneer days gradually disbanded.
170 THE HISTORY
During the eighties Oliver Williams saw the need of a temperance senti-
ment. He organized quite a society which met for some time in the building on
Front Street, opposite the Eagle Hotel and now used as an express office and as
the Lehigh Valley freight station. During the opening years of the new century,
B. F. Hammond, Esq., father of the Rev. B. F. Hammond, conducted a temper-
ance movement in Schneller 's Hall on Front Street above Bridge.
Although these efforts proved sporadic, and gradually faded from view, the
great cause of morals for which they stood and strove is growing as a nation-
wide sentiment and is destined by divine direction to mould and hold the hearts
and lives of men true to a clean, noble and prosperous citizenship.
SOCIETIES CONNECTED WITH ST. ANDREW'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The oldest society under the direction of St. Andrew's Roman Catholic
Church is Society St. Andrew's Branch No. 157 of the First Catholic Slovak
Union. It was organized November 25, 1894, and has a membership of ninety-
eight.
Society St. Martoon 's Branch No. 470 of the First Catholic Slovak Union was
organized November 6, 1904, at Cementon, Pa. This branch has at the present
time fifty-five members.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Slovak Union Society, St. Michael Branch No.
132, was organized on September 25, 1905. There are thirty-one members at
present in this organization.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Slovak Union then established the Society St.
Matthew's Branch No. 52, at Northampton, Pa. This Society has grown to
fifty -six members.
Society St. Anthony's Branch No. 72 of the First Catholic Slovak Union
SOKOL was organized September 25, 1910. A powerful factor in the prosperity
of this branch has been the military drill given the members. So earnest have
they been in basic principles of military tactics, that today they can present for
exhibition a fine body of drilled men.
The boys of St. Andrew's banded themselves together under the guidance
of the Junior of the First Catholic Slovak Union. On June 11, 1911, they be-
came the Society St. Joseph Branch No. 165. The growth has been very fine.
OF CATASAUQUA ' 171
reaching one hundred sixty-five. The strength and promise of the younger society
augurs well for the future of the older societies of St. Andrew 's Roman Catholic
Church.
GEORGE W. FULLER POST, G. A. R.
The Lieutenant George W. Fuller Post, Gr. A. R., was organized August 19,
1867, as Post 74, and disbanded June 30, 1871. It was reorganized April 15,
1872, and disbanded August 12, 1876. It was again reorganized as the present
Post No. 378 September 15, 1883, with twenty-three charter members as follows :
Edwin Gilbert, Frank H. Wilson, James Tait, Jr., Joseph Wray, Frank
Scott, James Dyatt, John Matchette, Francis Erdell, Charles King, Joseph H.
Schwab, Abram Miller, Conrad Klipple, John Patrick, Charles Laramy, Edmund
Randall, Joseph Matchette, W. H. Bartholoemw, Charles E. Sheckler, George
Henry, Andrew Johnson, F. M. Eagle.
By Edwin S. Osborne,
Dept. Commander.
Tho. J. Stewart,
Adjt. General.
The total number of names enrolled since its organization is two hundred
sixty-five. In the course of time the old soldier has been mustered out of the
sert^iees of earth until the present enrollment totals only forty-six names. The
Post owns twenty Springfield rifles and some fifty-five pictures of battle scenes,
and a ease of army relics presented to the Post by the late Joseph Hunt. The
Post also owns a small library composed of valuable volumes, besides an array of
flags and standards. The present Post commander is Francis Erdell; Senior
Vice-Commander, Joseph Schwab ; Junior Vice-Commander, George Henry ; Ad-
jutant, W. R. Houser, Sergeant Major, David Davis; Quartermaster, Martin
Graver; Quartermaster Sergeant, Thomas Quinn; Officer of the Day, James R.
Henry; Chaplain, Joseph Matchette; Officer of the Guard, Henry Savitz;
Trustees : Joseph Matchette, David Davis and Thomas Quinn.
No organization, or body of men, in the country has ever stood out more
prominently for patriotism, the love of home, life and liberty than ' ' Our Boys in
Blue." Their pageantry on Memorial Day, the thirtieth of May of each year
172
THE HISTORY
rekindled the flame of love of liberty and "The Union forever" and fanned it
into a brighter glow in the hearts of their countrymen than the rhetoric of tlie
strongest orators the country ever produced. A grateful people marched to the
strains of their martial bands to the silent mounds of their fallen comrades and
aided with liberal hand to decorate the same with nature 's spring offerings and
the stars and stripes. And althougli tlie last man of that noble liand shall soon
countermarch to his final resting place, the patriotic impulse of the nation will
continue the time honored custom so that the soldiers' graves shall be adorned
with flowers and flags as long as the nation stands.
THE soldiers' MONUMENT.
Patriotism is a po-
etic sentiment which
touches the chords of
that which is sacred and
tender. Historic places,
mementos of friendship
and tokens of regard
ai'c clothed with this
sentiment and invite
contemplation. T h e
world appreciates and
glorifies the actions of
those who have loved
their country better
than their homes, their
families, than even their soldiers' monument
own lives. Their example inspires us with appreciation for the great inheritance
that is ours because of their loyalty, devotion and self-sacrifice.
At the close of the Great Civil War, the patriotic sentiments of this com-
munity and environs found an expression of appreciation of the services rendered
by the volunteers of the town by the erection of a costly monument on the circular
OP CATASAUQUA 173
plot reserved in the cemetery. Upon this monument are inscribed the names,
rank and regiment of each soldier who went forth to battle that the Union might
be preserved; also the names of the prominent battles in which they were en-
gaged. The names of one hundred fifty-seven men are inscribed, twenty-six of
whom were killed or died in the service.
With suitable and prophetic sacred inscriptions, capped by an overspreading
American eagle and draping folds of the Union flag, the beautiful Italian marble
shaft was dedicated with imposing ceremonies and a civil and military parade
on October 3, 1866. Major A. R. Calhoun was the orator and delivered an in-
spiring address. The Rev. C. Earle, D. D., Secretary of the Monument Asso-
ciation, delivered the historical oration in which he declared that the nams of no
civilian appeared any where on the shaft, due to the decision that "no man's
name should be inscribed on the monument unless he had been sworn into the
services of the United States, and had been under the enemy 's fire. ' ' Hence it is
what it purports to be, "A Soldiers' Monument." Space was reserved for the
burial of veterans around the monument but the idea was abandoned subse-
quently. The one aim of all concerned was that the graceful figure should stand
out in bold relief against the azure blue o'er head without any thing around it
to detract from its grace and glory.
In 1871, General Charles Albright, a member of Congress, introduced a
special Act by which four siege guns and twenty-four cannon balls were donated
to the Lieutenant George W. Fuller Post, No. 74, G. A. R., for the adornment of
the first soldiers' monument erected in Pennsylvania. After the reorganization
of the Fuller Post, No. 378 G. A. R., in 1884, the Secretary of "War, Robert
Lincoln, ordered the Commandant of the Watervliet Arsenal at West Troy, N. Y.,
to issue to said Post four 64-pounder cannon ; two of the English model of 1812,
weighing 5,514 and 5,498 pounds, respectively, and two U. S. guns of the 1819 and
1829 models, weighing 5,014 and 5,000 pounds, respectively. These were placed
at the four corners of the monument.
The following names, with the rank and organization in which serving, and
accredited to Catasauqua, are inscribed upon the shaft :
174
THE HISTORY
FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS.
OFFICERS :
Major Arnold C. Lewis Sergeant
Captain Joseph Matchette Sergeant
Lieutenant William E. Thomas Corporal
Lieutenant Robert Wilson Corporal
Lieutenant Edward Cramsie Corporal
Lieutenant James McQuillen Corporal
Orderly Sergeant Isaac Davis Corporal
Sergeant Daniel Davis Corporal
Musician Andrew Sinley
PRIVATES :
Wallace Brown
John Blair
David Bachman
John Brown
John Cannon
Daniel Dwyer
Samuel Zellner
Hugh Dougherty
Philip HiU
George Hasson
Jeremiah Keefe
John Kilpatriek
John Leo
Thomas Mooney
John McMurtrie
James McCracken
Morgan Richards
John J. Davis
Robert E. Williams
William McMonegal
Hugh Lyons
John Patrick
John Moore
John H. Price
James McLaughlin
John McQuillen
John McFadden
John Reed
Solomon J. Rowe
David MeCandless
Daniel Desmond
Alexander Doneghue
Michael Rohfritzs
John Richards
Patrick Reilly
John Son
Patrick Sullivan
William Thompson
Franklin Wards
FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT PENNSYIjVANIA VOLUNTEERS.
OFFICERS :
Captain Henry S. Harte Sergeant
Captain Edwin Gilbert Sergeant
Lieutenant George W. Fuller Corporal
Lieutenant Wm. H. Bartholomew Corporal
Lieutenant Augustus Eagle Corporal
Lieutenant Harry H. Bush Corporal
Lieutenant Thomas F. Lambert Corporal
Lieutenant James W. Fuller Corporal
Orderly Sergeant James Tait Corporal
Sergeant William H. Glace Corporal
W. F. Longenhagen
John L. Jones
Joseph H. Schwab
G. H. Longenhagen
Martin O'Brien
Josiah H. Walk
James E. Patterson
Robert Cunningham
Augustus F. Eberhart
Charles L. Nolf, Jr.
OF CATASAUQUA
175
Sergeant John W. Heberling
Sergeant Richard H. Schwab
Sergeant Joseph J. Lilly
Sergeant Albert H. HcHose
Corporal Spencer Tettermer
Corporal James Ritter
Corporal W. H. VanDyke
Musician David A. Tombler, Jr.
PRIVATES :
David Andrews
Abram Bander
Godfrey Betz
Stephen Beers
Hiram A. Beitelman
William Christ
William Ehrich
Orlando Puller
Frederick Fisher
Rainey Grader
Addison R. Geho
Joseph Geiger
Joseph Gross
Joseph Hunsicker
William Herman
Isaac Jacoby
William Jordan
John Kane
George Kerchner
Nicholas Kuhn
William Kuntz
Reuben H .Keim
Philip King
Charles King
Frank Leffler
J. K. Longenhagen
Joel Laudenslager
John Lucky
OTHER VOLUNTEERS.
Michael O'Brien
John Whorley
John P. Weaver
F. H. Wilson
Gotlieb Schrum
Nicholas Smith
Robert M. Sheats
GriiSth Reinhart
William Offhouse
John O'Brien
Daniel Newhart
Charles H. Michel
Ambrose Dietrich
George Moll
W. H. Moll
Alfred Lynn
Jenkin Richards
Ed. Matthew
Uriah Meyers
William Mensch
Benjamin Missimer
Charles Leffler
Aaron Laub
Emanuel Leffler
William Henry
G. Assenheimer
John Weiss
Charles Miller, 14th U. S. Infantry
Michael J. Hooker, 1st Pa. Reserves
Joseph Shelly, 1st Pa. Reserves
Stephen Shierer, 1st Pa. Reserves
Samuel Roberts, 6th Pa. Cavalry,
Rush 's Lancers
Charles Boyle, 6th Pa. Cavalry,
Rush 's Lancers
Thomas Smith, 202d Pa. Volunteers
William Paul, 188th Pa. Volunteers
John Keefer, 16th Pa. Cavalry
John Graham, U. S. Navy
176
THE HISTORY
John SchoUe, 3rd Pa. Reserves
Peter Mack, 8th Pa. Cavalry
James R. Henry, 8th Pa. Cavalry
W. H. Berlin, 8th Pa. Cavalry
John Case, 58th Pa. Volunteers
John Saurwine, 58th Pa. Volunteers
George Henry, 54th Pa. Volunteers
Samuel Kiefer, 6th N. J. Cavalry
Abram Miller, 6th N. J. Cavalry
Robert Newhart, 6th N. J. Cavalry
William Newhart, 14th U. S. Infantry
John Bigley, 14th U. S. Infantry
Herbert James, 12th U. S. Infantry
Joe Davies, 53 Pa. Valunteers
James Hutchison, 53 Pa. Volunteers
James McClelland, 53 Pa. Volunteers
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR VOLUNTEERS.
Roy Applegate
William Buckland
Prank Bartholomew
Edward Eagle
Stanley Fitzhugh
Edward Kane
Harry Lambert
David McMahon
William Paul
George Storm
William H. Smith
John L. Schick
BATTLES OF THE 46 TH REGIMENT.
Winchester, Va., March 23, 1862.
Middletown, Va., May 25, 1862.
Winchester, Va., May 26, 1862.
Cedar Mountain, Va., August 27, 1862.
Sulphur Springs, Va., August 27, 1862.
South Mountain, Md., September 14, 1862.
Antietam, Md., September 17, 1862.
Chancellorsville, Va., May 1, 2, 3, 1863.
Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 2, 3, 1863.
Resaca, Ga., May 15, 1864.
Cassville, Ga., May 19, 1864.
Dallas, Ga., May 25, 1864.
Pine Knob, Ga., June 9, 1864.
Kulp's Farm, Ga., June 22, 1864.
Pine Tree Creek, Ga., July 26, 1864.
Atlanta, Ga., September 6, 1864.
Cypress Swamp, Ga., December 8, 1864.
Savannah, Ga., December 21, 1864.
Chesterfield, C. H., S. Car., March 2, 1865.
John Scott
Henry Steinbecker
Paul Tildon
John W. Thomas
John T. Thomas
Ralph Weaver
Adrian Weaver
Charles Wetherhold
Henry Weible
Charles Williams
Philip Walters
David Yates
OF CATASAUQUA 177
Averysboro, N. Car., March 14, 1865.
Berryville, Va., September 5, 1864.
Coon Eun, N. Car., April 10, 1865.
Raleigh, N. Car., April 26, 1865.
BATTLES OF THEt 47TH REGIMENT.
St. John's Bluff, Fla., October 8, 1862.
Pocataligo, S. Car., October 22, 1862.
Sabine Cross Roads, La., April 8, 1864.
Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864.
Cane River, La., April 25, 1864.
Manassas Plains, La., May 16, 1864.
Berryville, Va., September 5, 1864.
Opequan Creek, Va., September 19, 1864.
Fisher's Hill, Va., September 22, 1864.
Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864.
THE PIONEER BAND.
A Brass Band was organized in Catasauqua during 1843. John Thomas
was the leader ; and the last surviving member of that band was the late Samuel
Thomas. It would be interesting to see the shapes and sizes of the instruments
used in those early days. After an existence of nine years the band was dis-
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OLD PIONEER BAND
solved, mostly because its principal players moved out of town.
In 1865, the Catasauqua Band was organized, and taught by Prof. Vest
Moyer. The leaders were Orange Fuller and Attilio Benvenuti; Secretary,
Henry W. Bhrie. The members of this band were ;
178
THE HISTORY
Henry C. Eckensberger, Fred W. Becker, James C. Beitel, William Koons,
Frank Eomig, Henry Kothrock, John Stuart, John Hill, Franklin Bower, Albert
Breisch, Frank Seem, William Stuart, Hiram Beitelman, Frank Roth, John
Thomas, Walter Biery, Robert A. Miller, Benjamin Bachman, Uriah Kurtz,
Jacob Sigley, Charles Hill, David Tombler, Edward Sey fried, James Young,
James Betz, Daniel Milson, Pres., Jonathan Price, Treasurer.
The Pioneer Band as organized July 11, 1873, in Laubach's Hall, now the
upper floor of the Child's Grocery Store. Jacob Berkemeyer was conductor.
Anthony , B. Buck served as conductor on various occasions. Conrad Horst
conducted from 1890 to 1893, and C. F. Roth from 1893 to 1907. After Mr.
Roth came John Walker, from 1907 to 1909; Clyde Walp 1909 to 1913; and
the present conductor is Ignatz Suppan.
THE PRESENT PIONEER BAND
The band was chartered as the Pioneer Cornet Band of Catasauqua, Pa.,
September 2, 1881.
The Band played a whole week's engagement in Philadelphia during the
great centennial of 1876. Probably their most important engagement was with
the Americus Club of AUentown, when rigged like the Club members in gray
overcoats and silk hats, they marched through the streets of Harrisburg on the
occasion of the inauguration of Governor Pattison.
OP CATASAUQUA 179
The present membership consists of twenty-eight men, who rehearse Monday
and Thursday evenings of each week in Kostenbader 's Hall. Their officials
are: President, John Steitz; Vice-President, Elmer Newhard; Treasurer, James
Miller ; Leader, Clem Suppan ; Assistant Leader, Clayton Steitz ; Trustees, John
Steitz, U. E. Snyder, and Isaac Sell.
The oldest Band musician in Catasauqua to-day is C. F. Roth, who was a
member of the Band from July 11, 1873, to August 12, 1909.
THE CATASAUQUA CHORAL SOCIETY.
"When Mrs. Wells became organist in the First Presbyterian Church, in
1870, a Choral Society was formed and the first attempt to render classical
music in Catasauqua was made. James Prescott succeeded Mrs. Wells in 1876
and developed the society to such a degree that people from all over the Lehigh
"Valley journeyed to Catasauqua to hear concerts that were worth while. The
Borough still enjoys a lofty distinction for good taste and great skill in the
rendition of high-class music. The only noticeable feature to-day is the fact
that many places once proudly held by the Welsh and Irish are now meekly
occupied by the Germans.
The late Clement A. Marks, Mus. D., of Allentown, trained a large chorus
of men and women in the closing years of the last century and gave two fine
concerts.
In connection with a series of public meetings held in different churches in
town during the fall of 1912, Ralph C. Solt developed a large choir of musical
people to a high degree of perfection. The rendition of a number of classical
selections was pronounced fine and inspiring.
During the opening months of 1914 a large Catasauqua Choral Society was
organized with Harry E. Graffin as president; Robert Ritter, vice-president;
Robert E. McKeever, secretary, and Bertha Hopkins, treasurer. The director
of the Society is Matthew F. Webber. One hundred sixty-one names are enrolled
in the list of members. They rendered their maiden concerts in the High School
Auditorium on the evenings of April 21st and 22nd. Their efforts were greatly
appreciated by large audiences composed of people from all over the Lehigh
Valley.
180 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER VI.-BANKS.
THE NATIONAL BANK OF CATASAUQUA.
The Bank of Catasauqua was incorporated by an act of the Pennsylvania
Legislature, approved by Governor James Pollock on May 5, 1857. The incor-
porators mentioned in the act were: William Miller, David Thomas, John D.
Stiles, Henry King, John "Williams, Eli J. Saeger, Benjamin Rupp, Solomon
Vogel, Owen Frederick, John Hudders, James S. Rees, Jonas Biery, Franklin
B. Martin, Samuel Sieger, and David A. Tombler. The first meeting of the
Board of Directors was held September 9, 1857. Those present were: Eli J.
Saeger, John L. Hoffman, Chas. Aug. Luckenbach, J. P. Scholl, David A. Tom-
bler, David Thomas, Joshua Hunt, William Miller, Jonas Biery, James W. Fuller,
1st, Robert Oberly, Samuel Laubaeh, and Jacob Fatzinger. The Board was
sworn in by Chauncey D. Fuller, Esq. Eli J. Saeger was elected President. At
a meeting held on September 14 of the same year, a committee of two, Messrs.
Saeger and Hunt, was appointed to ' ' report a suitable person for Cashier. ' ' As
the banking business of the Iron Company, the leading industry of Catasauqua
at that time, was transacted at Easton, it was natural that the committee should
look to that town for a cashier, and, on September 17, the committee reported
in favor of M. H. Horn, Jr., of Easton, and he became the first cashier. He
remained manager of the bank in the position of Cashier and President until
his death in 1890.
The first place of business was in the Thomas Frederick residence on Front
Street below Union, in the room now used as a barber shop. Probably few of
the present residents remember the primitive surroundings of the time. On
the customers' desk was a glass of shot into which the pens were stuck to take
off the ink and keep them from rusting. A pan of blotting sand and a small
scoop were provided to use in drying the endorsements on checks, as no blotting
paper was in use at that time. An old fashioned fire-proof safe was the strong-
OP CATASAUQUA
181
box of the Bank. The iiianageinent looked alwut for a permanent location for
the Bank, and at a meeting held on Jannary 12, 1858, among other offers of
sites for the permanent location of the Bank, David Thomas offered "to present
to the Bank a lot of gronnd at the corner of Bridge and Second Streets and five
hnudred dollars, if banking house is erected on said lot at any time during the
years 18r)8-59.'" This offer wiis refused on a vote of six to five and the James
Lackey property (now the Imperial Hotel) was purchased. Here the Bank was
; ^;*?V'\'/
THE NATIONAL BANK OF CATASAUQUA
located from 1858 to 1903, when it moved to its present location, which strange
to say is the very property offered to it free in 1858 by David Thomas. It was
not ac(]uired under as favorable terms as those offered to it previously. The
Lackey store building was remodeled and made suitable for banking purposes.
In 1867 extensive alterations were made and the building then was considered
very imposing. Business was carried on here until 1903, when the Bank was
moved to the present modern structure at Second and Bridge Streets. The
Bank was just fairly launched in business when the panic of 1857 occurred, and
it was one of the very few banks that did not suspend specie payments during
182 THE HISTORY
that trying time. The panics of 1873-1878, 1893 and 1907 were also survived
with credit to the strength of the institution.
The Bank of Catasauqua was converted into a National Bank, June 20,
1865, and became a member of the Federal Eeserve Association in March, 1914.
This institution has always been closely identified with the manufacturing,
mining, mechanical, mercantile and producing interests of the community; and
has shared in its prosperity as indicated by the fact that the dividends paid
to its stockholders since its organization, a period of fifty-seven years, average
slightly over seven per cent, per annum. The bank has often sacrificed its own
good for local interests but the general good of the town and vicinity has been
benefited by its actions.
The capital and surplus of the Bank at present is $740,000, with deposits
averaging $1,300,000.
The officers of the Bank since its organization have been as follows :
PRESIDENT.
Eli J. Saeger, from 1857 to 1888.
M. H. Horn, from 1888 to 1890.
Frank M. Horn, from 1890 to 1899.
Owen P. Fatzinger, from 1899 to 1903.
Edwin Thomas, present incumbent, elected 1903.
VICE-PRESIDENT.
John Williams, from 1884 to 1892.
Owen P. Fatzinger, from 1892 to 1899.
Dr. H. H. Riegel, present incumbent, elected 1899.
CASHIER.
M. H. Horn, from 1857 to 1888.
Frank M. Horn, from 1888 to 1890.
Charles R. Horn, from 1890 to 1899.
Frank M. Horn, present incumbent, re-elected 1899.
ASSISTANT CASHIER.
Frank M. Horn, from 1880 to 1888.
Charles R. Horn, from 1888 to 1890.
H. V. Swartz, from 1904, present incumbent.
OP CATASAUQUA
183
TELLERS.
John 0. Lichtenwalner
Tilghman H. Moyer
Orange M. Fuller
William H. Horn
John J. Gliek
Clifford H. Riegel
Ralph C. Boyer
CLEEKS.
James W. Mickley
John J. Glick
David A. Tombler, Jr.
Frank M. Horn
Clifford H. Riegel
Ralph S. Weaver
Howard V. Swartz
Ralph C. Boyer
The present Board of Directors are:
Rowland T. Davies
G. B. F. Deily
D. George Dery
J. S. Elverson
Charles C. Keiser
Charles E. Lawall
George B. Mauser
John A. Frederick
Charles G. Heilman
Ralph C. Solt
Joseph J. McKeever
Charles G. Albert
Charles W. Hopkins
Ella V. Schneller
Mame E. Swartz
Lucius H. McHose
Leonard Peckitt
H. H. Riegel
H. J. Seaman
Edwin Thomas
Charles N. Ulrieh
At the breaking out of the Civil War, gold and silver immediately went to
a premium, consequently fractional silver coin was withdrawn from circulation,
and it was impossible to make change for amounts under one dollar. Store
keepers and landlords issued scrip in denominations from three cents up and
much worthless paper was put into circulation. To overcome this difficulty in
Catasauqua, John Williams deposited an amount of money in the Bank of
Catasauqua and issued certified checks against it in amounts of five, ten,
twenty-five, and fifty cents, thus giving the people a currency that was absolutely
safe and readily redeemed in legal tender at the Bank. This substitute for
currency was used until the government issued its "postal currency."
The notes of the Bank of Catasauqua were redeemable at its counter in
gold or at its redemption agency in Philadelphia. The five dollar bill in the
184
THE HISTORY'
center of the group is Number One — the first bill issued by the Bank and the
first note of any kind paid out over its counter. The one dollar bill is the first
note of that denomination issued by the Bank.
This Bank was one of the very few banks that did not suspend specie pay-
ments in 1857.
The first note paid out over the counter of the Bank when it opened in
1857 is a five dollar bill, numbered one, and was carried by General William
Lilly of Maueh Chunk for many years. This note is in the possession of the
Bank and is framed with a full set of the notes of all denominations. This col-
lection hangs in the Cashier's room at the Bank together with an interesting
collection of small checks used as currency during the Civil War, when silver
coin disappeared from circulation like magic. As soon as a premium was paid
on gold and silver, for a short time, postage stamps were used to pay small
sums; but as this was the only kind of money that would stick to you, it soon
became unpopular. Merchants, hotel-keepers, etc., commenced to issue scrip
OP CATASAUQUA
185
to overcome the inconvenience of this substitute for money. John Williams
issued checks for five, ten, twenty-five, and fifty cents which were certified as
"good" by M. H. Horn, Cashier. These checks were used by the Iron Company
in making pays, and passed current, as their payment was absolutely assured,
until the Government issued the postal currency for amounts less than one
dollar. This postal currency continued in use until long after the war and
was so convenient that many regretted its disuse.
Since 1903 the Bank has occupied its magnificent stone structure at the
corner of Second and Bridge Streets. This building necessitated an outlay of
upwards of seventy-five thousand dollars and is as fine a building for banking
purposes as can be found in any town of ten thousand people in America. The
186 THE HISTORY
fire and burglar proof vaults, together with a safe deposit vault containing boxes
to let, are of the latest design and mechanism.
The popularity which it has attained is due in no small degree to the
constancy with which its officials have kept in mind and lived up to their rule
of courteous treatment to all, careful attention to details, anticipation of the needs
of the banking public and progressive, yet conservative, management.
THE LEHIGH NATIONAL BANK.
On April 26, 1906, the Lehigh National Bank became a reality, when a
number of the stock subscribers met and appointed a committee on organization,
consisting of William H. Glace, Dr. Daniel Yoder, Herman Kostenbader, Sr.,
Owen Fatzinger, Charles W. Schneller, and Rufus M. Wint.
The committee was instructed to decide on location, select a Board of Direc-
tors and look after other matters incident to organization.
The Merchants' National Bank of AUentown was appointed the temporary
depository of the new bank.
On May 17, 1906, the directors met and elected William H. G-lace, Presi-
dent; James C. Beitel, Vice-President; Hon. Jonas F. Moyer, Cashier; John A.
Frederick, Teller; Burtis A. Laub, Bookkeeper. The directors were: James C.
Beitel, Dr. A. J. Becker, George H. Dileher, William H. Glace, Herman Kosten-
bader, Sr., Frank B. Mauser, B. Frank Swartz, Charles W. Schneller, Oscar J.
Stine, Rufus M. Wint, and Dr. Daniel Yoder, of Catasauqua; H. A. Benner of
Schoenersville ; P. J. Daubach of Northampton; James W. Peters of Egypt;
James J. Seyf ried. East Catasauqua ; A. H. Snyder of Weaversville ; William H.
Fenstermacher and Thomas B. Schadt of Coplay.
Temporary quarters for the new institution were secured in the Glace brick
building, 423 Front Street, two doors above the Mansion House. The bank
opened for business on August 1, 1906, under the charter granted by William
R. Ridgely, Comptroller of Currency, on June 30, 1906. Over an hour belore
business began a crowd of people gathered, all eager to be the first depositor.
The honor went to Henry F. Savitz, the Catasauqua coal oil dealer.
During the day $104,173.11 were received in deposits. The number of de-
OP CATASAUQUA
187
positors was ninety-six, making an average of one thousand dollars deposited by-
each.
The new institution bought government bonds to the amount of thirty-five
thousand dolars, for which it took out circulation. The bills were all in denomi-
nations of ten and twenty dollars, and were signed at the Merchants* National
Bank by President William H. Glace and Cashier Jonas F. Moyer. The latter
LEHIGH NATIONAL BANK
signed bill No. 1 with a pen and holder presented by Hon. Fred. E. Lewis, Presi-
dent of the Merchants', and he preserved the pen and bill as a souvenir. The
Bank prospered at once and the directors were set to work securing their own
home. They engaged architect A. W. Leh of South Bethlehem to prepare the
plans for a new building.
Where once stood the James W. Swartz dwelling and office building at
Front and Bridge Streets is now located the handsome bank and office building
of the Lehigh National Bank. The corporation purchased from the Swartz
Estate the buildings located on the ground, forty-five feet on Front Street, one
hundred eighty-seven feet on Bridge Street, and forty-five feet on Railroad
Alley, for the sum of eighteen thousand dollars. The buildings on Front Street
188 THE HISTORY
and on Bridge Street, as far as the Dispatch office, were torn down for the
new bank, and building operations commenced May first, 1905, and throughout
the year the work progressed variously. The building contract was awarded to
the well-known builder, W. H. Gangeware of AUentown.
The two-story building is forty-five feet on Front Street and seventy-seven
feet on Bridge Street. It is colonial in design, the materials being Corning terra
cotta, with copper cornice and "Wyoming blue stone trimmings. It is pronounced
one of the finest and best equipped bank buildings in the Lehigh Valley.
The Bank was the tenth in Lehigh County. It has a capital of $125,000.
It started out with deposits of $104,172.11 and now has deposits of $560,000.
Loans and discounts are $366,161.78. The stock and bonds owned amount to
$259,323.36. The earned surplus and profits are $61,000.
The organization of the Bank at present is as follows : James C. Beitel,
President ; Rufus M. Wint, Vice-President ; Jonas F. Moyer, Cashier ; Burtis A.
Laub, Teller; John S. Matchette, Bookkeeper; James Sehreiber, Clerk. The
directors are James C. Beitel, Dr. A. J. Becker, Frank B. Mauser, August
Kostenbader, Charles W. Schneller, Oscar J. Stine, Rufus M. Wint, Dr. Daniel
Yoder, P. J. Laubach and James J. Seyfried of this place; H. A. Benner of
Schoenersville ; James W. Peters of Egypt ; A. H. Snyder of "Weaversville ; Wil-
liam F. Fenstermaker and George H. Dilcher of AUentown; H. W. Bloss of
Slatedale.
HOME BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION.
Besides our Banking Institutions of Town there are three other financial
corporations. They are the Home Building Association, Catasauqua Building
and Loan Association, and The Lehigh Building and Loan Association.
The oldest of these three is the Home Building Association. A charter
was granted by his Excellency, James A. Beaver, Governor of Pennsylvania,
to the Association, and on March 4, 1887, it was incorporated under the laws
governing these banking organizations. The amount of the capital stock of the
corporation was one million dollars divided into five thousand shares of the par
value of two hundred dollars. Only recently the Association voted to change the
capital stock to five million dollars. The present officers are : Pres., Reuben F.
OP CATAS-VUQUA 189
Case ; V. Pres., John Fisher ; Treas., Prank M. Horn ; Sec, Howard V. Swartz ;
Solicitor, Chas. N. Ulrich ; Directors : Owen A. Fatzinger, Plato "W. Troxell,
Rufus M. "Wint, James M. Lennon, Charles Kemp, P. J. McNally, Wm. J.
Evans, Sr., "Wm. F. Bngler, George W. Specht. It meets the second Tuesday in
each month.
CATASAUQUA BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION.
The second Building and Loan Association to be incorporated in the town
is the Catasauqua Building and Loan Association. It was incorporated under
the laws of Pennsylvania on January 13, 1890. The amount of the capital stock
of the Association is one million dollars, divided into five thousand shares of the
par value of two 'hundred dollars. The present officers are : Pres., Edwin C.
Koons; V. Pres., F. J. Fatzinger; Treas., H. V. Swartz; Sec, Roland Davies;
Solicitor, Chas. N. Ulrich; Directors: Wm. R. Thomas, Jr., H. B. Weaver,
Franklin Goldsmith, Allen S. Heckman, Edwin Chapman, James Morrow, Jno.
Jordan. It meets the first Tuesday in each month.
THE LEHIGH BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION.
The Lehigh Building and Loan Association was incorporated June 14, 1910.
The amount of the capital stock of the Association is one million dollars divided
into five thousand shares of par value of two hundred dollars each. The officers
are : Pres., Dr. A. J. Becker ; V. Pres., August Hohl, Jr. ; Treas., Jonas F. Moyer ;
Sec, John Frederick ; Solicitor, William H. Schneller ; Directors : Joseph
Troxell, Preston H. Kratzer, William F. Fenstermaker, Charles J. Phifer, Wil-
liam J. Montz, Prank C. Beck, John Smajda, Rufus W. G. Wint, William A.
Follweiler, Preston L. Beil, Evan B. Guth.
190 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER VII.— TRADESMEN AND CRAFTSMEN
GEORGE B. F. DEILY. George Deily, the father of George B. F. Deily,
began the retail coal trade at Union and Canal Streets in 1849 and continued the
business until 1862. In 1876 Edwin V. Swartz reopened the yards and de-
veloped a lucrative trade which he felt constrained to release in 1882. Two
years later George B. F. Deily stocked the yards with mountainous piles of all
grades of coal and has conducted a mammoth trade ever since. A yardman is in
service during the entire year and three men with two teams are constantly
devoted to making deliveries. Mr. Deily also opened a general store on Front
and Union Streets in 1885. He carries a large stock of dry goods and notions
together with a complete line of groceries.
Mr. Deily owns large and productive farms east of town and many valu-
able properties in and about Catasauqua. He is considered a shrewd financier.
As a director of the National Bank of Catasauqua, his opinion and advice relative
to investments and securities are constantly sought.
J. APPLEGATE AND SONS. The store, known as Catasauqua 's Depart-
ment Store for a number of years, was established on the corner of Second and
Bridge Streets by J. Applegate and Sons, in 1882. In 1885 the place was en-
larged. The firm carried large lines of groceries, dry-goods, shoes and rubber
goods, carpets and drapery, crockery, glass and china ware, wood and willow
ware, etc. September 1, 1909, they leased the grocery department to R. A.
Clewell and Bro., who continued until January, 1912. Since the Clewell Bros,
retired, J. Applegate and Sons are conducting the dry-goods trade only, devoting
their whole building to dry-goods and notions.
JOSEPH TAYLOR AND SONS. This store on Second and Wood Streets
was founded by John McKibben in 1868. During 1870 John Hunter turned it
into a liquor store. Joseph Taylor began the general store business in 1868 at
OP CATASAUQUA 191
234 Second Street. Later he moved to 227 Second Street and in 1872 he bought
out John Hunter. In due time Mr. Taylor took his sons into partnership with
himself so that the firm is known as Joseph Taylor and Sons. The firm also
carries some green goods, and for a while handled fresh meats.
DAVID GILLESPIE, Jr. The General Store on Second and Mulberry
Streets was established by John Brown in 1849. He was succeeded by "William
Miller and Joseph Forest. David Gillespie, Sr., assumed the business in 1865 ;
and his son David succeeded him in 1904. Additions to the store house were
made in 1874, 1894 and in 1906. New lines of goods are constantly being added
to the stock in order to meet the demands of the trade.
JAMBS E. MISSMER. With a capital of but fifty dollars, James E. Miss-
mer ventured into the mercantile life. He began business in a small one-story
frame building oij the corner of Second and Arch Streets. By close application
he developed a trade of such proportions as to warrant the purchase of additional
ground and the erection of a two and one-half story building. The new structure
occupies the site of the old one and is twenty by thirty feet in dimensions. The
stock consists of groceries, dry-goods and provisions. In 1912 Mr. Missmer also
added the real estate and fire insurance business to his interests. He sells lots of
the Hunter farm and builds and sells houses.
W. B. STEINHILBER. William Steinhilber was a native of Minersville,
Pa. After he attained to manhood, he was a mine foreman at Ashland for many
years. Later, he established a general store at Ashland and conducted it with
success. At the outbreak of the War, he enlisted in Company G. of the 129th
Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers of Schuylkill County. When he re-
ceived his honorable discharge, he drifted into Catasauiiua, and later built a
grocery store' during 1890 on Third and Almond Streets. Success followed his
enterprise to the day of his death, August 2, 1904. The business is continued by
his son, W. B. Steinhilber.
WILLIAM WEISLBY. William Weisley established the General Store
business at Front and Pine Streets in 1879, and has conducted a successful enter-
192
THE HISTORY
prise ever since. He carries a full line of groceries and dry goods besides a few
special lines of china and glass ware. By close application to business, by fair
and square dealing, and by courteous treatment of his customers, Mr. Weisley
has built up a large patronage and a successful business.
E. J. BOYER. Reuben A. Boyer established a general store on Second
Street above Church in 1885. He sold out to Thomas Jacoby in 1864, and the
latter conveyed the place to E. J. Boyer in 1871. Since this time Mr. Boyer
carries a stock of novelties, agate and queens-ware. An addition was built to
the store in 1891.
HARVEY P. HOFFMAN. The general store on the corner of Walnut and
Fourth Streets was opened by E. A. Troxell. Until 1907 he was its owner and
then Harvey F. Hoffman bought the store. Four years later the present pro-
prietor built an addition to the original building and increased his stock. The
line of merchandise now covers all that a community store should have for the
convenience of the dwellers in the neighborhood. The regular morning orders are
carried to the homes by the delivery wagon and should any of the household
necessities be required at short notice, it is but a step to Hoffman 's.
CATASAUQUA MERCANTILE COMPANY. On August 17, 1906, a
charter was granted to the Catasauqua Mercantile Company and the firm opened
a business along the lines of the co-operative plan in a building at 758 Front
Street, belonging to the Bryden Horse Shoe Company. The originators of the
plan were connected with the Horse Shoe Works and felt that the workers in the
factory and all the residents of that section would be benefited by such a store.
They carry a large line of groceries and dry goods. The second floor of the build-
ing is a ware room.
The company at the present time is composed of the following officers:
President, Paul Miller; Secretary and Treasurer, John McAlister; Directors,
W. Foster Banks, Charles Frederick and John Moat.
The present manager, Robert T. Rutman, took charge of the business in
1913. Under his efficient management, as well as under that of the six who
OP CATASAUQUA 193
preceded him, the CatasaiKiua Mercantile Company has built up one of the
best local retail stores.
MATTHEW F. WEBBER. The Matthew P. Webber store, located on Sec-
ond Street above Walnut, was opened originally by Preston Lindeman. Reuben
Lindeman succeeded the founder. The present incumbent made his debut in the
business in 1894. This store carries a full line of gi'oceries, candy, notions and
stationery.
JAMES J. SEYPRIED. James J. Seyfried is a native of Nazareth. While
still a child his father died, after which he became the charge of friends at Mt.
Bethel. As a youth of eighteen summers, he drifted into Catasauqua, and worked
for McKee & Fuller, at the Car, Wheel & Axle Works. During the eighties Sam-
uel Hock began the general store business on Eleventh and Race Streets. In
1891 Mr. Seyfried bought the Hock store and continued business on the corner
until 1897, when he built the beautiful store and dwelling, the third door from
the corner, where he continues his trade to the present time. In 1899, Mr.
Seyfried admitted George C. D. Goldsmith intapartnership, which continued until
1912 when Mr. Goldsmith established and built a store for himself. The Seyfried
store has on sale groceries, dry-goods, notions, flour, feed, hard-ware, etc.
H. S. WOTRING. The store building on the corner of Church and Lime-
stone Streets was erected by Robert Miller in 1884, and devoted to the shoe trade.
William Steinhilber converted it into a general store. Later Mrs. John Downs
conducted a store here. Ammon H. Bachman bought the property from Mrs.
Downs. H. S. Wotring purchased the place in 1907 ; and during 1910 he built an
addition by which he more than doubled the capacity of his store. He carries
a full line of dry goods, notions, shoes, groceries, cured meats, etc.
MILTON D. WOTRING. Three years ago Milton D. Wotring, the largest
stock holder in the AUentown Notion Company of AUentown, Pa., bought all the
other shares. This company had been conducting a large wholesale notion
business throughout this section. During the years of 1911 and 1912, he erected
a large building at 1025 Fourth Street, Catasauqua. The plans provided for a
store and home into which Mr. Wotring moved his business and family. He
194 THE HISTORY
continued the wholesale business that had been started in Allentown and opened a
fine general retail business.
The large established wholesale business is conducted on the second and
third floors. The agent employed by Mr. Wotring travels throughout the cement
regions and into the city of Allentown. On the first floor the retail department
presents to the housewife of this section a very large variety of merchandise,
groceries, dry-goods, hardware and notions. In this day a necessity to a mer-
cantile business seems to be a delivery wagon, but this store reverts to the
older business method and sells all goods across the counter, thus saving the buyer
the cost of transportation to the home.
THE BOWEN GROCERY. The ground upon which the P. 0. S. of A.
building stands was purchased by Joseph Swartz in the beginning of the sixties.
During 1881 he erected a large store building in which he and his sons conducted
the grocery business until 1887, when Isabella Swartz and her sister purchased
the property. David Walters leased the store and conducted a first-class grocery
trade for many years. In 1895 the property was bought by the P. 0. S. of A. In
January, 1903, John Bowen rented the store room for a branch of his large
Allentown store. The Bowen grocery contains any and every thing that is good
to eat.
THE CHILDS GROCERY COMPANY. The store room in the Eagle
Hotel Building on Front and Bridge Streets was occupied in 1856 by Joseph
Swartz and Brother. Their successors were R. Beers & Company, D. C. Heberling
and Martin Graver. The last named took the general store business in 1893,
and later added hardware to the stock. During 1904 Mr. Graver retired and the
F. Hersh Hardware Company opened a branch store under the management
of H. H. Aubrey. After the hardware store was moved to the Jr. 0. U. A. M.
Building in 1910, the Childs Grocery Company opened a store carrying a full
line of groceries and meats.
GEORGE C. D. GOLDSMITH. George C. D. Goldsmith was employed as
clerk by Mr. J. J. Seyfried in 1900 and at the end of six years was admitted by his
employer into the business, thus forming a partnership. However, Mr. Goldsmith
OP CATASAUQUA 195
was desirous of starting in business for himself. So in 1912 he suited action to his
thoughts and opened a general store at 508 Race Street on November 1, 1912.
His store offers to the Third Ward residents everything in groceries, dry-goods
and notions.
E. J. ZIESER. E. J. Zieser engaged in the grocery business in 1908 at the
corner of Howertown Road and Locust Street. During the spring of 1914 the
store room was greatly enlarged. Dry goods and groceries are the lines of goods
Mr. Zieser handles.
HENRY HARRIS. Henry Harris, together with his son David, started a
store in 1892 on Howertown Road. "The son continued with his father until
seven years later, when, forced by sickness, he left for the west. Mr. Harris and
his wife have conducted the store since that time. Groceries, with Kolb's bread
as a specialty, are sold in this place of business.
GEORGE SMITH. Orange Fuller erected a fine frame store and dwelling
on the corner of First Avenue and Bridge Street, West Catasauqua, Pa., and let
it out to Samuel Hoch, who, in 1884, began the mercantile trade here. Two years
later George Smith bought the stock and in due time the property, where he still
conducts a general store. Mr. Smith remodeled the place a score of years ago.
Dry goods, groceries and general merchandise C9nstitute his stock.
HARRY ONUSHAK. Before William Steinhilber moved to Third and
Almond Streets, he opened the grocery store at 1053 North Third Street. On
May 15, 1900, Harry Onushak came to Catasauqua from Mahanoy City, Pa.,
and purchased the Steinhilber store. During 1907 he added to the height of
the building until three stories were completed. He also attached a meat market
65 feet in length. He sells grocereis, meats, dry goods, hardware, tinware, shoes,
oil cloth, linoleumSj etc.
ANTHONY O'DONNELL. Anthony O'Donnell opened a small grocery
store at 1246 Third Street about 1902. Business increased to such an extent that
it necessitated his doubling the capacity of the store in 1913. He carries all
manner of groceries, green goods, and fruits.
196 THE HISTORY
MARTIN BENKO. It is with surprising rapidity that the foreigner has
taken hold of our American ways and customs even to the extent of building
up-to-date and modern business places. Such has been the case with Martin
Benko, who first established a small store at 1213 Third Street ; but as business
increased and store room was needed, he moved to 1209 Third Street. Here
Mr. Benko, together with his son, have a modern store, to say the least, carrying
all kinds of groceries and dry goods.
MRS. WANDA KOZLOWSKI. The grocery store and meat market on
Third Street above Arch was established by S. M. Kozlowski in 1900. In March,
1909, Mr. Kozlowski retired. Mrs. Wanda Kozlowski undertook the business in
December of the same year and conducts a profitable trade. Groceries, smoked
and fresh meats comprise her stock.
PHILIP F. KURTZ. The street-vender whose trumpet calls arouse the
busy housewives of a community to thoughts of meals for the loved ones to whom
they minister, gradually grows into the lives of the people and is quite as much
an element in the comfort and happiness of the public as his daily rounds are
profitable to his purse. Fresh fish, prime oysters, ripe fruit, and truck with the
morning dew still sparkling in the leaves, is the staple ' ' menu ' ' of the huckster
wagon of Philip F. Kurtz. "Fritz" started in the business in the spring of
1872, and his tenor voice is still -strong and clear.
D. M. DOTTERER. D. M. Dotterer was busily engaged in manufacturing
cigars in 1889, but owing to ill health was forced to give up the business in 1912.
Then he turned his attention to the green grocery business and today Mr.
Dotterer can be heard from his team on the streets of our town announcing
potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, oranges, etc. He also runs a small candy shop at his
place of residence.
WILLIAM T. HOLTZLEICER. Thirty years ago William T. Holtzleicer
began a huckster business. Since that time he has faithfully and happily served
the people of Catasauqua with all kinds of vegetables. During a part of the
time he conducted a store on Third Street, spending the morning on the wagon
and the afternoon in the store. Of all food-stuff merchants the huckster is most
OF CATASAUQUA 197
heard. Unlike many others of his trade, Mr. Holtzleieer 's voice is music
on the morning air as he calls out the kinds of vegetables on his wagon.
PETER GEIGER. One of the old land marks on Front Street is the
property owned by Peter J. Eberhard. In the store room adjoining the residence
occupied by Mr. Eberhard and family, James Holly established a tailor shop
early in the sixties. After the "Holly" faded, the trade and proprietorship of
this store changed repeatedly. Now it was devoted to ice cream, then to notions ;
now to confectionery and bric-a-brac, then to green groceries. The present in-
cumbent, Peter Geiger, occupied it October 7, 1912, with green groceries, candy
and notions. Mr. Geiger is determined to make a business place of No. 203
Front Street ; and he is succeeding.
WILLIAM S. WILLIAMS. The store at 623 Front Street has been occu-
pied since May 30, 1912, by the retail business of William S. Williams. His
stock is mainly green groceries, carrying all varieties in season and the most
called for kinds out of season. He also has a line of regular groceries and canned'
goods. On the floor above he has an ice cream parlor. The gradual growth of
Mr. Williams' business has necessitated an addition to his first floor room.
MILKMEN. Since this volume is dedicated to the posterity of Catasauqua
as well as to the men of the past, it is not only fitting but most profoundly im-
portant that we announce the milkmen who do business in our town. Most of the
cows whose milk we imbibe are groomed on the "Dry-lands" which naturally
guarantees that Catasauqua receives the yellowest and richest milk known in
any town along the Lehigh.
Our Milkmen are : Alfred J. Sterner who began to distribute in November,
1887. Aaron Hess began before Mr. Sterner and was succeeded by his son
Albert, so that the Hess firm is the oldest milk distributor still in business. Clinton
U. Miller began in about 1894. James Kearney began about sixteen years ago ;
Wilson Saylor, fifteen years ago ; David F. Mill, ten years ; Smith and Son, ten
years; Peter Roth, ten years; David Shoemaker, eight years; Palmer Koch, six
three years.
Most of the dates, or years, given are simply approximations.
years; Harvey Saylor, five years; Charles Balliet, four years; Reuben Lazarus,
198 THE HISTORY
KOCH AND YOUNGER. The flour and feed firm known as Koch and
Younger was organized in 1897 and opened the store on Second Street above
Wood at the same time. They carry a complete stock of flour, feed, grain, and
poultry supplies. Two men and one team are constantly employed to supply
the large trade of this firm.
THE FIVE AND TEN CENT STORE. A. J. Etheredge and Company
leased a commodious room in the Jr. 0. U. A. M. Building and fitted it up for
the five and ten cent trade. It would be futile to attempt to describe the stock
of a Five and Ten Cent Store. Even the peroration of the hand-bill of a public
sale that speaks of "Articles too numerous to mention" fails to do justice to
the description of a Five and Ten Cent Store Stock. One thing is true, and
that is: The stock is here.
ICE CREAM. Charles Andreas, who for many years had charge of the large
■ blowing engines at the furnaces, established the first confectionery and ice cream
trade in town. He located his store on Front Street above Bridge.
Ambrose E. Seyfried began to manufacture ice cream for the wholesale
and retail trade at 613-615 Front Street in April, 1883. After the death of
her husband, March 21, 1894, Mrs. Seyfried continued the business in his name.
Dviring 1891 she enlarged her place of business by adding twenty-five feet more
to her building. From 1892 to 1902 she also carried a large line of toys. Her
wholesale trade grew until her average output is estimated at 20,000 gallons
per annum. Her side lines are candy, cigars, and oysters.
Stewart and Young began the manufacture of ice cream for the wholesale
trade during the summer of 1903. They located on Third Street near Arch and
erected a factory 13x16 feet in dimensions. The increased demand for their
product led them to rebuild their factory in 1909, and now they are quartered
in a room 38x40 feet, equipped with the most modern machinery. Their side
line is confectionery and oysters.
A. H. KIBLER. During 1886 Samuel Hock built a general store at 468-
470 Race Street. James J. Seyfried bought the place from Mr. Hock in 1891.
After Mr. Seyfried moved to his new store, Mr. Hock conducted biisiness for
OF CATASAUQUA
199
one year, when in 1889 John Brophy occupied the place. July 3, 1909, Amandus
H. Kibler rented the establishment from Seyfried and Goldsmith and converted
it into an up-to-date Ice Cream Parlor in connection with which he carries a
STORE OF A. H. KIBLER
stock of soft drinks, candy, tobacco, oysters, groceries and stationery. Being
an exceptionally fine mechanic, especially along the line of small machinery,
Mr. Kibler also conducts a jewelry and watch and clock repairing department.
He bought the property from Seyfried and Goldsmith, November 15, 1911.
CLINTON FEHR. During the seventies William Sacks established a large
cigar and tobacco trade at No. 144 Front Street and continued in prosperity
until his death, April 7, 1912. Alvin Snyder bought the property which had
been enlarged and beautified, and rented it to the present incumbent, Clinton
Fehr. Mr. Fehr converted the store and the tobacco rooms into ice cream parlors.
His stock consists of confectionery, cigars and tobacco, soft drinks and ice cream.
MRS. HEFFELFINGER. The small cozy candy and cigar store near the
corner of Front and Race Streets was started in 1909 by Jeremiah Schoneberger.
In 1911 Mr. Schoneberger died and then his widow kept the store until her
death in 1913, when her daughter Mrs. Heffelfinger took hold of the store. Pa-
trons of the trolley line are accommodated here by being able to purchase return
200 THE HISTORY
tickets to the Queen City. Candies, cigars, and tobacco are sold at this little
store around the corner.
MORRIS H. MOYER. In September, 1911, Robert E. Scheckler opened
a restaurant and ice cream parlors on Front Street below Bridge. He furnished
meals at all hours, besides catering to the public through the sale of oysters,
clams, crabs, etc., in bulk. The Sheckler meals had a savory reputation through-
out the town. In the spring of 1914 Morris H. Moyer acquired the stand and
enlarged the parlors so as to provide accommodations for from eighty to one
hundred guests at one time. Choice meals are served. Ice cream, candy, tobacco
and cigars, and a full line of sea foods are offered. A fine soda fountain has also
been installed.
MRS. MARY EDGAR. In 1902 Henry Zieser and William Edgar opened
a lunch room at the corner of Front and Walnut Streets. They moved to 605
Front Street and two years later Mr. Edgar became sole owner. After his death
in 1908, his widow Mrs. Mary Edgar continued the business. The patrons are
served quick lunches upon the long counter.
THE EDGAR BROTHERS. During 1911 the Edgar Brothers erected a
24 by 70 foot, two story, brick building on Front Street, below Pine. The base-
ment is leased to Roxberry, the barber. The second floor is occupied by the
Lyceum Club and the Dental rooms of Dr. Chas. Weinberg. The main floor
is devoted, by the Edgar Brothers, to a first-class restaurant. A fine soda foun-
tain has been installed, and other equipment set so as to make the place attractive
and comfortable. The firm serves first-class meals, ice cream, cigars, candies,
sea-foods, and all kinds of soft drinks.
MRS. WINFIELD S. DONKEL. The Confectionery store at 301 Peach
Street was opened by Mrs. Winfield S. Donkel during the spring of 1896. In
1913 the store was enlarged and beautified. Mrs. Donkel's stock consists of
candies, cigars and tobacco, and stationery.
FRANK A. YOUNG. An interesting place of business is the novelty, candy,
cigar and soft drink store at 517 Front Street. The genial proprietor of the
OF CATASAUQUA 201
place, Frank A. Young, purchased the stand from Edward Schlaugh in 1910.
It serves the public a great convenience that Mr. Young is magnanimous enough
to sell trolley tickets to AUentown. There is no commission in this business.
The recipient of fares would rejoice if tickets could scarcely be secured so that
men would pay the coveted twenty cents per round trip instead of the benevolent
rate of only fifteen.
OWEN J. SMITH. Owen J. Smith established a candy, tobacco, and cigar
store on Pine Street in 1909, but moved to his present location, 1102 Second
Street, in 1911. Here, Mr. Smith enjoys as large a trade as his facilities allow.
He does carpenter work in his spare time as a means of adding to his income.
OSCAR WEAVER. Oscar Weaver opened a small store in the front of
his dwelling at 419 Race Street in 1909. Here he has continued to do business
on a small scale selling groceries, candy, and cigars.
FRANK SNYDER. It was due to illness, not beingstrong.enough physically
to do manual labor, that caused Frank Snyder to open a small store on Race
Street in 1903. At first he sold candy and cigars, but later he added groceries.
NICHOLAS RETZLER. Nicholas Retzler conducts a cigar factory at 236
Second Street since March 28, 1909. He sells choice brands of smokes through-
out both Lehigh and Northampton Counties. He carries a full line of smokers'
supplies, candies, ice cream, and soft drinks.
JOHN G. SACKS. John G. Sacks opened a cigar factory on Church Street
above Front in 1890. In 1897 he purchased the Quinn property No. 701-705
Front Street and moved his factory into this building. This is the house of
the Florimel. Mr. Sacks employs several hands, who are kept busy throughout
the year.
WILLIAM A. SACKS. William A. Sacks opened a cigar store at 144
Front Street, and engaged in making cigars, in 1911. Two years later he moved
to his present location, 223 Front Street, where he is busily occupied making
the "Immense" and other cigars.
202 THE HISTORY
JOHN J. LAUBACH. One of the old tobacco stores in the Borough is
the one at 603 Front Street. Prior to 1890 Fred Hunter was the owner of the
store but in the above year he sold to the present proprietor, John J. Laubach.
Up to 1911 he manufactured cigars. Mr. Laubach has everything in the tobacco
line.
C. D. W. BOWER. Frederick Leickel began to slaughter animals and sell
meats in 1850 and continued in business until 1857, when George Bower suc-
ceeded him. Mr. Bower was succeeded by his son C. D. W. Bower in 1878. The
latter developed the business to large proportions. He increased the slaughter
house at Canal and Mulberry Streets, ran meat wagons and conducted a meat
market on Bridge as well as on Front Street. In 1893 an overheated smoke
house caused a fire which consumed the slaughter house. Mr. Bower re-built
and enlarged the place. He built a refrigerator large enough to store the
carcasses of twenty cattle, thirty hogs, fifteen calves and fifteen sheep, besides
all the by-products of this slaughter. During 1903 he installed a ten-ton Rem-
ington ice machine for cold storage. The scarcity of live stock and the great
advantage that naturally accrues to the large packing houses induced Mr. Bower
to discontinue the slaughter house and the Bridge Street market, concentrating
all his business at his Front Street establishment.
PHILIP F. WALKER. Early in the sixties John Bckert built a slaughter
house on Howertown Avenue and School Street. He disposed of his products
chiefly by means of delivery teams. During the eighties Philip F. Walker learnt
the trade in his shop and served as salesman until 1891, when he became Mr.
Eckert's successor. Mr. Walker slaughtered an average of eight cattle, twenty-
five hogs, eight calves and eight lambs per week. During 1893 he opened the
meat market at number 228 Second Street, where he still enjoys an extensive
trade. The old slaughter house has been abandoned long since. The stock consists
of home dressed meats sold by Arbogast and Bastian at Allentown, Pa. The
market contains a large refrigera:tor cooled by a three-ton ice machine, and is
equipped with cutter, slieer, mixer, and scales of the most improved type.
Thomas Walker serves his father in the business since the opening of the cen-
tury. Deliveries are made by means of a team and auto-truck.
OF CATASAUQUA , 203
A. A. HAUSER. Wilson S. Hauser began to slaughter on the premises of
Andrew A. Hauser, in the Third Ward, in 1890. He ran two meat wagons on
a route covering Catasauqua, Bast Allentown and Rittersville. In 1896 he re-
tired from the business. In 1901 Alvin A. Hauser took the old stand, remodeled
the slaughter house, and on the 16th of August of the same year made his first
delivery trip through Catasauqua and. Northampton, Pa. In 1911 he bought
the property from Andrew A. Hauser, razed the old building, and erected an
up-to-date and absolutely sanitary market.
ACME BEEF COMPANY. The Acme Beef Company at 313 Walnut
Street furnishes the tables of the neighborhood with meat of tenderness and
quality. The largest stockholder and manager, Clayton Ziegler, built the market
in 1911. The building is a red structure. The words, "Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork,
and Poultry," underneath the firm's name stands out prominently in the mind
of a person after walking up Walnut Street.
The Company, with a full line of meats and common groceries, by up-to-date
business methods, has given the residents of this section prompt and efficient
service.
WILLIAM F. KUEHNER. The first bakery in town was established late
in the fifties by a Mr. Hiskey on the property beside the Eagle Hotel on Front
Street. The property was then owned by a Mr. Laubaeh. Mr. Hiskey delivered
his products in baskets.
In 1861 a Mr. Albright started a bakery at 205 Front Street, the Frederick
Eberhard Building, now occupied by baker Klingler. His baker was Charles
King who now resides at Coplay, Pa. 0. M. Fuller and Ferdinand Eberhard
succeeded Mr. Albright. It is said that this firm had a man named John Tombler
on their delivery team. John had a constant run on cakes, so that the stock was
never sufficient to reach around. He would return and say, "Heuf sin' sie
awer gfloga. " Upon investigation it developed that the cause of his great run
on cakes was that he sold fifteen for a dozen. John got his passport.
August G. Eagle succeeded Fuller and Eberhard. In 1874 James Dilcher
occupied the place ; and in 1882 Mr. Dilcher moved to 217-219 Front Street,
where he built a new oven. The capacity of this oven is 400 loa,ves at one time.
204 - THE HISTORY
Mr. Dileher disposed of about 4700 loaves a week. In 1893 his son George H.
entered into the business with his father, and ran one of the delivery teams.
After his father's death, June 2, 1897, George H. Dileher purchased the prop-
erty from his father's estate September 1 of the same year. Mr. Dileher kept
up the reputation of the firm for excellent bread and super-fine cakes.
William F. Kuehner acquired the property from George H. Dileher October
10, 1907. Mr. Kuehner employs four bakers. He runs three delivery teams over
routes covering Catasauqua, West Catasauqua, Hokendauqua, Coplay and Fuller-
ton. His average output per week is 5700 loaves, and about 2700 dozen cakes.
Mr. Kuehner 's head baker is Morris Moyer, a gentleman who has fired those ovens
for over nineteen years. The Kuehner baked stuffs need no special recommenda-
tion, their taste for more speaks for itself.
H. 0. HAUSER. On June 22, 1914, it will be just twenty-five years since
H. O. Hauser started in the baker business by buying out Wm. Storm, who
was located at 762 Front Street. Here he was buily engaged in changing flour
into bread, cakes and other cookies for a period of thirteen years, when he
moved to 740 Third Street. He equipped the building necessary to carry on
the bakery business. In 1904, 1910 and 1912 improvements and additions to
the establishment were made, and to-day Mr. Hauser can boast of having one
of the latest bread mixers on the market. He enjoys a large trade and is always
busily engaged in baking bread, cakes, pies, and other toothsome dainties to
satisfy the wants of his customers.
ELVIN KEENER. Daniel Keener, together with his son Blvin Keener, con-
ducted a bakery at the corner of Second and Lehigh Streets, Hokendauqua, for
two years. Desirous of better facilities and a larger field. Keener and Son built
a large residence and bakery at 1125 Third Street, North Catasauqua, in 1902.
The partnership continued until 1912, when the father retired from the busi-
ness, leaving the son as sole proprietor. An ever-increasing demand for the
Keener output taxes the capacity of the plant, although additions and improve-
ments have been made since it was first occupied. Two teams are constantly
employed, early and late, in dispensing its products.
FRANK KLTNGLER. For a period of fifty-three years a bakery has been
OF CATASAUQUA 205
located at 235 Front Street. It was in 1861 that a Mr. Albright from Philarlel
phia built the house and erected one of the first bakeries in this locality. The
establishment has changed hands many times. The present proprietor is Frnnk
Klingler.
THE W. J. SMITH COMPANY. During the summer of 1895, Mr. Wilson
J. Smith began to distribute confectionery to candy shops by means of one horse
and a small spring wagon.
When the season of muddy roads began, Mr. Smith purchased a second
horse so as to divide the draught burden between a double span.
After hard labor for a period of seven years, Mr. Smith succeeded in build-
ing up so large a trade as to require the services of three two-horse teanas and
five men to handle all the goods.
In 1898, he purchased a brick stable on Race Street and converted it into
a factory, storage, and office rooms.
Finding the work too onerous for himself alone to handle, he associated
Edwin J. Smith, his nephew, in 1904, with the business so as to form the W. J.
Smith Company on the basis of a limited partnership.
In 1912 the firm purchased an auto-truck which is used on solid roads, ^vllile
the horse teams are still in use on mud roads.
The territory of their route extends throughout the Lehigh and upper Dela-
ware valleys and towns, and a narrow strip along the western border of New
Jersey.
Their output during 1913 was about eight hundred fifty toos of candy.
THE FULLER OIL & SUPPLY COMPANY. Mr. C. H. Puller began to
sell lubricating and burning oils, fish, cottonseed and lard oils, tallow, cup and
gear greases, and mill supplies some time during 1898.
After his death Mr. E. H. Donecker purchased the business from the estate,
in March, 1912.
Mr. Donecker also carries a line of pulleys, shafting and belting, the "Viola"
anti-friction Babbitt metals, packings, hose and general supplies.
By careful attention to the trade and the use of sound business methods,
the business has increased fifty per cent.
206 THE HISTORY
DEEMER & LITZENBERGER. The progressive firm of Electricians, T. J.
Deemer and W. J. Litzenberger, established an office in Catasauqua, August 1st,
1903. They added another room to their display parlors on Bridge Street, in
1907, and now carry a complete line of electrical chandeliers, domes, motors,
lamps, switch hoards, and all manner of supplies. They have wired and in-
stalled fixtures in many houses, factories, stores, churches and other public
buildings in Catasauqua, FuUerton, Allentown, Kutztown, Palmerton, Lehighton,
Walnutport and other neighboring towns and villages.
AMMON H. BACHMAN. The Star Electric Company was established by
Ammon H. Baehman at Front and Cherry Streets, in August, 1908. Mr. Bach-
man contracts for all manner of electrical work. He is a competent mechanic
and has many installations to his credit. Repaid work is his specialty. With
him it means light on the subject at all times.
JOSEPH MATCHETTB AND SON. Joseph Matehette became connected
with the Judson Powder Company of New York, in 1882. In time the E. T.
Du Pont de Nemours Powder Company assumed control.
He was the first demonstrator and user of high explosives in this section,
as well as the first selling agent in the twelve counties of southeastern Penn-
sylvania, which constitute an agent's territory.
Mr. Matehette also sold the products of the Ingersoll Rock Drill Company
of New York — later the Ingersoll Rand Company. He did pioneer work also
in this line, furnishing drilling machines and machinery for quarry and railroad
construction work, which was a means of greatly advancing operations in lime-
stone, slate and cement industries.
The Captain associated his son, Joseph D. Matehette, with himself in the
business in 1891.
Long experience in handling high explosives and drilling machines has
placed Messrs. Matehette and Son into a position to give expert advice and
information to a great number of customers.
GRAFFIN BROTHERS. Harry E. Graffin started in business as Manu-
facturers' Agent, November 1, 1897. He admitted his brother, George W., as
partner on the 7th of April, 1898, and the firm title became "GrafSn Brothers."
OP CATASAUQUA 207
On December 31, 1911, George W. withdrew from the firm and the business
was taken over by Harry E. Graffin who has continued under the old name.
Graffin Brothers are Manufacturers' Agents for Mine, Mill and Quarry
Supplies, Engines, Boilers, Pumps, Belting, Rubber Goods, Oil, Waste and a great
many sundries.
Established in the old National Bank Building on Front Street, its longest
tenure has been at 125 Bridge Street, from which place it has been moved
recently into the Lehigh National Bank Building.
DANIEL MILSON, Jr. Daniel Milson, Jr., began the Coal business on
Canal Street, below Race, in August, 1897.
Three years later he opened a limestone quarry on the Frank Deily Estate in
order to furnish fluxing stone to the Crane furnaces. A crusher was erected
on the premises in 1902.
During 1911 Mr. Milson entered the old quarry of the former Kurtz Estate
and installed a five hundred ton per day crusher. From this quarry much stone
and crushed material has been furnished for the macadamizing of our important
streets.
JAMES FAHLER. The blacksmith adds much to the music of a busy com-
munity'. When the wagon breaks, or the nut is lost no artist is so fine as he whose
brawny arms give a graceful swing to the glittering hammer. Before the days of
the patent calk, horseshoeing was much more of an art than it is now, and even yet
no novice can trim a hoof or drive a nail where it will hold and not bring pain to
the patient animal. John Koons opened the shop on Pine Street in 1855. James
P''ahler succeeded him in 1867, and, assisted by his son Francis, still continues
in business.
JOHN W. HOCH. George Hoch pounded the anvil in the Rehrig black-
smith shop on Railroad Street, near Race, in 1891. In 1897 he built the shop on
Race Street near the Davies and Thomas foundry. After his death, August,
1898, John W. Hoch, his brother, bought the shop from his estate. John learned
the trade from his brother George in the Rehrig shop, and his work proves him
master of his art.
208 THE HISTORY
WILLIAM B. MARK. Aaron Lambert was proprietor of the blacksmith
shop on Peach Street above Howertown Avenue for many years. During the
spring of 1880, Benjamin Mark who formerly lived in Phillipsburg, N. J., ac-
quired the stand and conducted a successful trade until 1896, when he retired.
His son, William B. Mark, began to learn the trade from his father at the age
of thirteen years, and served his father with fidelity until the latter retired.
Since 1896 William does a large business in his line, and his services are in
demand.
CHARLES W. FRY. An early saddler in Catasauqua was Charles Rau,
who opened a shop on Front Street below Bridge in 1861. Lewis M. Fry worked
for Mr. Rau until 1863, when he bought and conducted the business for himself.
During 1875 Mr. Fry was stricken blind, but he kept on with his work, cutting,
fitting and sewing harnesses and collars as though his eyesight had not been
impaired. After his death, February 27, 1902, his widow, assisted by her son,
Charles W. Fry, continued the business, which ultimately fell into the hands of
the latter. Mr. Fry has his place of business on Second Street below Church,
and carries a full line of saddlery with such accessory stock as is incident to the
trade.
WILLIAM J. BUSS. Since 1879 William J. Buss has been making new
and repairing old harnesses. His shop is at 207 Second Street, where he has a line
of all the furnishings that the horseman may need. Machinery has taken, for the
most part, the place of a harness maker, but, when a new part is needed in haste
or the old is broken, the puller of waxed thread has his place, as of yore.
HENRY J. WERTMAN. In 1908 Henry J. Wertman bought the
estate of George F. Wertman, the livery on Bridge Street back of the Penn Hotel.
In the days when the national game was conducted on a large scale in this and
neighboring communities, Mr. Wertman was an enthusiastic rooter and supporter
of Lehighton teams. It was then that such men as Hugh Jennings were brouhgt
out. Now the team interest shows itself in the livery. Eight horses are con-
stantly ready for cab service. The livery man has little use for the lighter
driving horse, so he prepares almost solely for the heavier service.
OP CATASAUQUA 209
WILLIAM B. CLARK. In the early forties the Old Eagle Livery was
established and has furnished teams for the public from that day to this. Dur-
ing the past forty years the business has been carried on under the following
names : Eeber & Laubach, Reber & Clark, and Clark & Evans. Today William B.
Clark is the sole owner. He built the large stable which his business now occu-
pies on Second Street.
Before the day of the trolley car and the automobile, a livery was the Mecca
for pleasure seekers. In those days this place had forty horses while now only
eight are in tlie stable. The empty stalls stand a lonesome memorial of better
days. Then the night service was large, for the last train to Catasauqua left
AUentown at ten-sixteen.
On the second floor stands the large eighteen passenger tally-ho, almost a
stranger to the dust of the road. The omnibus is never hitched to. In the place
of these heavy vehicles, Mr. Clark has a large touring car ready for hire.
Light driving teams are seldom sent out. The horses are used for the most
part in cab and funeral service.
SAMUEL P. GEMMEL. On April 1, 1891, Samuel P. Gemmel opened a
grocery, five-and-ten-cent and tin store on Second Street above Wood. Mr.
Gemmel is one of Catasauqua's inodern tin-smiths, a craftsman of whom
Schiller 's words are appropriate : ' ' The work shall praise the master. ' ' During
January, 1903, the store was enlarged and a full line of stoves, hardware (lim-
ited), variety goods, metal work, kitchen utensils and enameled ware was in-
stalled.
CHARLES W. SCHNELLER. The name of longest standing in a given
business in Catasauqua is that of Schneller, associated with stoves, tinware and
house furnishing goods. Charles G. Schneller established a tin store on the corner
of Second and Mulberry Streets in 1848. During 1854 he moved the business to
Front and Strawberry Streets. He continued in business until 1881 when he ad-
mitted his youngest son, Charles W., into partnership under the title of Charles
G. Schneller and Son. In 1887 the senior member of the firm retired, leaving
the avocation to his son. During 1868 the store was doubled in size. In 1892 a
210 THE HISTORY
line of hardware, paints, sporting goods, wall plaster, etc., was added to the stock.
The shop for metal work is connected with the store, and a number of employees
are constantly turning out first class work.
JOHN P. SCHNBLLBR. The patenter of the most scientific Hot Air
Radiator known to the trade, John P. Schneller, started in business as a tin-
smith in Catasauqua in the spring of 1880. After a lapse of five years he de-
termined to make his fortune in Kansas. "While in the far west, Mr. Schneller
learnt of the death of John Lair of Lambertville, N. J., whose stock he bought in
November, 1886, and moved eastward. The following summer he sold out at a
handsome profit and returned to Catasauqua. He opened his shop at Limestone
and Raspberry Streets. Afterwards a luring proposition attracted him to Bmaus,
where he bought the establishment of Charles Zellner. In June, 1888, Mr.
Schneller again returned to Catasauqua with the full conviction that the morning
sun first shines here, and her lingering rays last longest when they glow upon
Catasauqua 's twilight. He built his store at number 120 Front Street. He sells
stoves, tin and agate ware, and does all manner of jobbing in his line as a first-
class tin-smith.
F. HBRSH HARDWARE COMPANY. Martin Graver began to deal in
hardware at No. 505 Front St. April 1, 1888, and developed a fine trade until
1904, April 1st, when he retired, and the business was assumed by the F. Hersh
Hardware Co. This is a branch of the large stores of the Hershes in Allentown,
Pa., and is in charge of Harry H. Aubrey, as manager, and R. A. Savitz as clerk.
On May 1, 1910, the store was moved to larger quarters in the Jr. 0. U. A. M.
Building. The store carries a stock of everything that an up-to-date hardware
store should contain.
CHARLES SCHNEIDER. Nearly fifty years ago Charles Schneider
opened a store where the Ehle saloon is now located. It was through Mr.
Schneider that many of the early settlers of this Borough furnished their homes,
as he sold stoves, and all kinds of house furniture. He kept his store here for
thirty years, when, in 1902, he built his present store at 108 Second Street. Mr.
Schneider offers stoves, ranges, and many other articles in the house furnishing
line.
OP CATASAUQUA 21 L
THE WALP SHOE. Some men are "to the manor borne," and this is quite
appropriate when applied to Benjamin Walp, the shoemaker. He has never done
any other work nor engaged in any other kind of business. Mr. Walp was born
and raised at Rockdale, Pa. During his younger years he worked at his trade
in Scranton, Carbondale, and places in Lehigh County.
In January, 1862, he came to Catasauqua and, for seven years, worked for
Robert Streham. He set up his own bench in the Romig Building, Front Street
near Race. Mr. Walp was not merely a cobbler. The making of a shoe was a
scientific effort for him. He measured and studied his subject's feet and con-
structed a last that was practically equal to a plaster cast of a man's foot and
over that model he built his shoe.
When his health failed and he went out of business in the fall of 1911, he had
a regular lumber yard of lasts in his shop on Second Street near Bridge. Many
of his patrons bought their lasts for use by some other shoe maker.
So well pleased were men with his work that orders for as high as three
pairs of shoes to one customer was not infrequent. He shipped shoes all over the
United States.
Since his retirement from the business, his son, Edwin W., has taken charge
of the shop ; but the production of new work has been discontinued.
JOHN STREHAM. Robert Streham worked upon the bench as a cobbler
for John Wilson at Front and Bridge Streets from 1851 to 1856, when he started
in business for himself. A number of young men learned the trade in his
shop. He re-located his business several times ; but finally settled for good at 220
Second Street. His son John learned the trade from his father and, when the
father retired in 1908, he continued to build and repair boots and shoes at the
old place. Since 1910 Mr. Streham devotes all his time to repair work.
A. OSTHEIMBR. The Ostheimer shoe store, on Front Street above Pine,
was established by John Blum in 1867. John Blum succeeded the elder Blum
in 1894 and continued in business until 1904, when the present incumbent, A.
Ostheimer, took charge of the place. The younger Blum enlarged the store to
twice its original size and in 1911 Mr. Ostheimer added a modern repair depart-
ment. The stock consists of everything in the boot and shoe line.
212 THE HISTORY
SCHICK & HAUSMAN. The firm of Schick & Hausman was started at No.
121 Front Street, August, 1890. Since that time, the business has grown to
such an extent that at times more than twenty men are employed.
They have done some of the largest and most important plumbing and
heating jobs in this section.
Their shop is equipped with machines and tools which permits this firm
to perform all work entrusted to them in a satisfactory manner.
Their display room contains samples of plumbing and heating material
from which customers are enabled to make their own selections.
Their present location, No. 621 Front Street, permits the handling and
storing of material which enables them, at short notice, to take care of a job of
any size.
BECK AND FREY. David J. Beck founded a plumbing establishment at
109 Front Street in 1910. After his removal to New York City, Frank C.
Beck succeeded his brother in 1904 and moved the business to 528 Pine Street.
In the spring of 1911 Mr. Beck associated Messrs. John A. and Monroe W.
Frey with himself to form a partnership. The firm contracts for all manner of
plumbing and has a number of fine jobs to its credit. The Webster system of
vapor and vacuum heating is their specialty.
CHARLES KEMP. Simon Kemp began the gents clothing business on
lower Front Street during 1866. In July, 1869, his brother Charles arrived
from Germany and entered into partnership with him. During 1880 the firm
moved into the fine store on Front below Bridge Street, where they developed a
large custom trade. When his brother, Simon, died in 1908, Charles Kemp
assumed the business. A shoe department was added in 1907. Mr. Kemp is a
merchant tailor of large experience and is well prepared to please the most
fastidious.
JACOB W. LIPSKY. In 1889 Jacob W. Lipsky opened a men's furnish-
ing store at 515 Front Street. The business grew steadily and so encouraged the
proprietor that he added a women's furnishing stock to his line of masculine at-
tire. Mr. Lipsky is now in a position to "fig-leaf" the whole household.
OP CATASAUQUA 213
SOLOMON SCHIPREBN. During the seventies Fuller and Schlaueh con-
ducted a book and stationery store in Fuller's Block on Front Street above
Church. The firm also ran a news stand and carried school supplies. They were
succeeded by Rev. Christ and later by Edward Sheekler. When Mr. Sheckler
moved the stationery store to his new building on Church Street, John Clugston
converted the place into a meat market. In 1912 Solomon Schifreen turned it
into a ladies' and gents' furnishing store. It is indeed a miniature department
store. In the stock of furnishings may be found wearing apparel, head gear,
shoes, jewelry, watches, clocks, musical instruments, etc.
F. J. CAMPBELL. Here is a gentleman who is in love with his business
and succeeds remarkably well. This tale can be told of any man who is in
earnest. F. J. Campbell purchased the tailoring outfit of H. L. Miller at 129
Bridge Street, September 1, 1911. The increased number of customers demanded
larger quarters. On July 1, 1913, Mr. Campbell moved to 215 Bridge Street,
where he is well equipped to satisfy the most fastidious tastes.
ALFRED L. MILLER. Alfred L. Miller has been in the tailoring business
for eighteen years. For ten years his shop was at the corner of Second and
Church Streets and the past eight years it has been on the second floor of the
Applegate building at 131 Bridge Street. During the past few years he has done
only part of his new work, sending the orders to the Royal Tailors of New York
City. The largest part of his work is cleaning, pressing and repairing. Skilled
and up-to-date tailoring, such as Mr. Miller has given Catasauqua for eighteen
years, is of much value to the men of a community.
A. E. SCHIELBR COMPANY. This paragraph must necessarily be brief
and promptly written lest the styles change before it is finished. Millinery means
the largest field of art in the country. It is confined to no genus in any kingdom,
be it vegetable, animal, mineral, or the all-comprehensive chemical laboratory.
Mrs. Charles Snyder opened the millinery store on Front Street below Mulberry
in 1870 and conducted a thriving business until 1899, when Miss Annie E.
Schieler and Company, the company being Mrs. Dr. C. J. Keim, purchased the
business. In January, 1911, the firm name was changed to A. E. Schieler Com-
214 THE HISTORY
pany. There is nothing in the line of ladies' and children's headgear this pro-
gressive firm does not have in stock or cannot promptly produce.
C. F. ROTH. In 1874 Cornelius F. Roth opened his Photograph Gallery at
Second and Bridge Streets. After an absence of one year, from 1877 to 1878, he
returned to town and opened his gallery on the third floor of Schneller 's Block.
After a season of successful operations he concluded to return to his old stand
at Second and Bridge Streets, where he is still touching up the negatives of posi-
tive looks. Mr. Roth makes the unmistakable boast of having been by far the
best photographer in town for many years. He bases the confidence of his asser-
tion upon the fact that he was the only photographer in the place. Mr. Roth is a
clear headed and genial fellow. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1906, and
re-elected in 1912.
IRA H. MILLER. The photographer in Fuller's Block, on Front Street
above Church, Ira H. Miller, has had experience in his line for twenty years. He
moved into his present bi-roomed quarters in July, 1913. His lenses are clear
and strong, and for dark days or evening exposures he is equipped with mercury
lights. He offers first class work on photos, enlargements, and post card
finishes.
THE LAW ALL BROTHERS. Jacob S. Lawall served his apprenticeship
as a student of pharmacy with his older brother, Cyrus Lawall, at Easton, Pa.
After he was pronounced qualified for the drug business he came to Cata-
sauqua and opened a store, March 4, 1856, on Front Street in the building now
occupied by the meat market of C. D. W. Bower. After two years he had built
the present Lawall store at 409 Front Street, where the firm has conducted the
business ever since. An interesting feature in the building is a pane of glass in
the show window. It measures fifty by eighty inches and was set in 1858.
At that time it was the largest pane of glass in Lehigh County. Men looked upon
it as a curiosity. Blasts and explosions shattered other windows but the large
glass in Lawall 's show window is still intact.
During Mr. Lawall's time there was a transition from primitive to modern
methods of illumination. In his day the poor people lit up their homes with
OF CATASAUQUA
215
candlelight, while the rich used tallow oil— in fact different kinds of oils. Mr.
Lawall manufactured an illuminant composed of a mixture of alcohol and tur-
pentine. This afforded a much cleaner light than the neat's foot oil, although
it was highly explosive. It was used in pewter or leaden lamps of various de-
signs and was called burning fluid. When he died, March 4, 1889, his sons,
Edgar J. and Charles E., succeeded him. The former was graduated from the
Catasauqua schools, and the college of Pharmacy in 1882. The latter attended
the town schools until he was almost through his senior year in High School, when
his father needed him in the store, and he dropped out of his class. Subsequently
he went to the College of Pharmacy at Philadelphia and graduated in 1884.
Since the store was built it has been enlarged and altered several times. The
firm carries a full line of drugs and medicines and such side lines as are inci-
dent to their trade and are needed to equip a first class drug store. They have a
soda fountain in operation during the summer months.
HBCKENBERGER DRUG STORE. The building occupied by the Heck-
enberger Drug Store and the Miss A. E. Schieler Millinery Company was erected
HECKENBERGER DRUG STORE
by Frederick Eberhard in 1859. The store room on the corner of Front and
Mulberry Streets was occupied first by Daniel Davis and Company of Easton,
2W THE HISTORY
who conducted a general store. Then followed Mr. Baird. After him came A. F.
and John W. Koons, as the Koons Brothers, and then William Miller. Finally, a
Mr. Menaugh of Newark, N. J., conducted a Dry Goods and Notions store here.
In 1874, William Heckenberger purchased the property, remodeled the store,
and opened a Drug Store (Die Deutsche Apotheke). Mr. Heckenberger was the
oldest son of the well known veterinary, William A. Heckenberger. While a
member of the senior class in our High School, he was offered an apprenticeship
in the drug store owned by John Black on Front Street above Bridge. He ac-
cepted the position and served his time. Then he attended the College of Phar-
macy at Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated March 10, 1874.
From the fall of 1874 until his death, January 16, 1914, Mr. Heckenberger con-
ducted his store. His son, William W. Heckenberger, succeeded his father in
business immediately after his graduation from the, College of Pharmacy, in June,
1914. William W. is a graduate of the Catasauqua High School. He has made
good use of his time and, being a young man of strong traits of character, he will
hold the confidence of his father's patronage besides gaining new friends. Dur-
ing the time intervening Wm. Heckenberger 's death and the occupancy of the
store by his son, Mrs. Cora Heckenberger secured the services of Dr. Lockman of
AUentown, a registered druggist, as the manager of the store. She also renovated
the store and installed an up-to-date Walrus Soda Fountain.
JOHN FISHER. After devoting some time to the mercantile business in
Mahanoy City, Pa. John Fisher came to Catasauqua, February 5, 1897. He
served as proprietor of the Farmer's Hotel for one year. In March, 1898, he
directed all his attention to private banking and the foreign exchange business.
He also runs a steamship agency. It is easy to secure passage and passenger
accommodation to any port of the globe through Mr. Fisher, who makes himself
personally responsible for accuracy and correctness of tickets and transports.
TIME PIECES. A sun-dial was set up near the gate leading to the David
Thomas home on Front Street, by the Crane Company in 1840.
In those days watches and clocks were expensive and not in genral use, there-
fore, a sun-dial in a public place was a valued convenience.
OP CATASAUQUA 217
"Whoever was fortunate enough to possess a watch had to go to Massey's at
AUentown in case of an accident until James C. Beitel established a Jewelry
Store at 215 Front Street in 1863.
Beitel always spelt guarantee and still stands for full value to the purchaser.
In 1900 Mr. Beitel admitted his son, Robert J., into the business, hence the
name "J. C. Beitel & Son. "
In April, 1909, the store was moved into its new quarters in the Lehigh
National Bank Building, where the firm maintains the most beautiful and the
most modern jewelry store in the Lehigh Valley.
Mr. Robert Beitel took a course in optics, and now holds a diploma showing
him fuUy qualified to examine eyes and fit lenses. An optical department has
since been added.
The firm carries lines of Piammas, Silverware, Cut-glass, China, Diamonds,
Watches, Clocks, Umbrellas, Fountain Pens, and all manner of Jewelry.
BOB SHARPE
ROBERT SHARPE. In Robert Sharpe, Catasauqua enjoys an asset that
cannot be counted by cash nor valued in figures. Bob has been our auctioneer
since 1872. When the air swells with Oh, Yes ! Oh, Yes ! to the accompaniment of
218
THE HISTORY
a butcher's bell, every one knows there will be a vendue that night and that Bob
will preside. Prices will soar in proportion to the number of jokes and jolly
squibs he dispenses. Mr. Sharpe was born in Glascow, Scotland, on Christmas
Day sixty-five years ago. At the age of six years he was brought to Mt. Hope,
Lancaster County, Pa., where he grew up as a farmer boy. He came to Cata-
sauqua in 1867 and wrought at the furnaces for many years. Since 1894 he runs
a Corner Shop at Front and Church Streets. His stock consists of tobacco,
candy, nuts, fruits, soft drinks, pretzels, etc. During his spare moments he de-
lights to attract the j'oung roosters in his neighborhood. He coaxes them to his
knee when he feeds them peanuts and entertains his friends by encouraging them
to crow. Mr. Sharpe built himself a beautiful home at Third and Union Streets,
FuUerton, Pa., in 1905.
, FREDERICK AND SCHERER. Owen Frederick began the Undertaking
business on Front Street, June 3, 1848, and continued in business until his
death in 1878. At that time the beautiful and stately appearing hearse was not in
use but was introduced later by Mr. Fred-
erick. Undertakers, and even Churches,
owned a bier on which bodies were borne to
their graves. The bier was a frame made of
walnut, mahogany or cherry wood, resting on
four legs, about eighteen inches in length. In
the cross pieces of the frame were grooves
bearing sliding clamp screws. "Where the
coffin was placed on the bier the sliding clamp
screws were pushed hard against it and
screwed down tight so as to prevent any
slipping while being carried by the pall-
bearers. At each corner was an arm, or long
handle, fastened by a strong hinge. Having
placed the coffin on the bier and fastened it
by means of the four clamp screws, four
strong men, pallbearers, would straighten out
WILUAM H. SCHERER
OP CATASAUQUA 219
the handles by lifting them up on their hinges and then, at a signal given by the
undertaker, elevate the bier to their shoulders, and thus bear the body to its
grave. When a body was heavy extra men would change off those who had grown
tired on the march. When distances were too long for bodies to be borne to their
graves, the casket (coffin) was pushed into the body of a farm wagon on which
some or perhaps all of the surviving members of the deceased's family rode.
The children, or some light weight persons, usually sat on the coffin on the
journey.
Mr. Frederick was also a cabinet maker, i. e., a furniture builder. The old
fashioned rocking chairs were shaped to fit the persons for whom they were made.
This explains why we never see two such chairs exactly alike in height, width or
tilt.
Upon the death of Owen Frederick in 1875, his son-in-law, Henry A.
Steward, took charge of the business and continued therein until his death, April
3, 1897. During Mr. Steward's nineteen years in the business he buried 2114
bodies, of which 553 were men, 474 women and 1087 children. After the death
of St. Steward, his brother-in-law, Ogden E. Frederick, and his "right hand
man," William H. Scherer, took the business and are running it in the name of
"Frederick and Scherer" ever since.
Mr. Frederick is in charge of the furniture and upholstering department and
Mr. Scherer attends to the undertaking. The latter is a practical embalmer and
is extremely skillful in this art. He has ' ' held ' ' bodies as long as nine days in a
state of perfect preservation. Since February 14, 1887, he was in the employ of
Mr. Steward, and rendered constant service with the Trocar. Mr. Scherer has
also served his time at the bench as a cabinet maker. A few years ago he re-built
the beautiful hearse which they have in use and also designed and built their
' ' first call wagon. ' '
Frederick and Scherer added upholstery since their co-partnership.
Since May 13, 1897, Mr. Scherer buried 2349 bodies. Mr. Scherer 's records
of persons, deaths and burials, are well nigh perfect. Even the hour of death,
the service and place of burial are given.
ELMER E. ERDMAN. Charles Snyder opened an undertaker's establish-
220 THE HISTORr
ment at 203 Front Street in the spring of 1882 and continued in business until
his death in May, 1902. His widow, Mrs. Ellen Snyder, waited upon calls until
August of the same year, when Elmer E. Erdman bought the establishment froiA
the estate. The first license granted to a woman undertaker in the State of Penn-
sylvania was issued to Mrs. Snyder on September 26, 1898. She died Septem-
ber 26, 1906. Mr. Erdman is a graduate of Prof. H. S. Eckees' Philadelphia
School of Embalming and Sanitation since July 26, 1902. He is licensed by the
State Board since June 26, 1905, and is a member of the State Funeral Directors'
Association. During his business career to May 11, 1914, he interred nine
hundred twenty-eight bodies.
HARRY F. ECKENSBERGER. Henry J. Eckensberger began house
painting and paper hanging in town late in the fifties. He was the first to in-
troduce Lewis' whitelead to the town. While painting at a window in the house
of Solomon Biery, now the .property of Miss Carrie Miller on Front and Union
Streets, a squad of newly mustered soldiers marched by on their way to the front
in obedience to President Lincoln's call. Mr. Eckensberger was so stirred by the
sight below him that he promptly climbed down from his scaffold and joined the
ranks of the ' ' Boys in Blue. ' ' After his return from the war Mr. Eckensberger
resumed his chosen trade. His son, Harry F. Eckensberger, learned the trade
from his father and struck out for himself in 1885. He employes six men.
TITUS R. CASE. Reuben Case is one of the old style painters. He started
in business in 1873; and three years later he added paper hanging to his
trade. There are very few men who know ho^v to grain a panel so as to rival the
natural cross cut of the wood. This is an art which Mr. Case can practice with
astonishing accuracy. His son, Titus R., learned the trade with his father, com-
mencing at the tender age of ten years. In 1901 the latter succeeded his father
in the business.
FRANK H. D. NBWHARD. In 1875 Frank H. D. Newhard began work as
a painter and paper hanger. During aU these years he has been beautifying the
homes in this section. He is a man of genial temperament, who has gathered
throughout these years much of pleasantness to pass on to those whom he meets.
OP CATASAUQUA 221
CHARLES B. SHECKLER, JR. The fore-runner of the Sheckler sta-
tionery store was established at No. 409 Front Street, by 0. M. Puller and
Edward Schlaugh, some forty years ago. Later 0. M. Fuller purchased his
partner's share in the business and conducted it as 0. M. Fuller and Company.
During 1891 Charles E. Sheckler, Jr., bought the business, and, after conducting
it at the old place for eleven years, he moved to his new establishment on Church
Street, opposite the Town Hall. During the days when pupils furnished their
own books and supplies, this store carried a heavy stock and was well equipped
to cater to every want. Since School Boards furnish books, this department
has been closed out by Mr. Sheckler. He carries a full line of stationery and wall
paper, and contracts for house and sign painting and house decorating.
JOHN K. FEENSTRA. A great deal of the beautifying of the homes and
residences in the Borough and surrounding territory has been done by John K.
Feenstra. On January 10, 1906, Mr. Feenstra began work as a paper hanger
and painter, and has his place of business located on Howertown Road near
Walnut. The demands of his customers require the constant employment of
two men.
EDWIN OLDT. John T. Williams and W. W. McKeever combined to
contract for hauling, moving, etc. In 1893 Edwin 0. Oldt bought the interest
of Mr. Williams and the firm name, Oldt and Company, was adopted. In 1895
Mr. Oldt purchased Mr. McKeever 's share and continued in business for him-
self. Contracting, general hauling, and moving comprise Mr. Oldt's business.
So extensive is this enterprise that Mr. Oldt employs the services of ten horses,
four moving vans, three coal wagons, two extra heavy trucks and six carts. ■ The
Oldt barn burnt to the ground on the night of February 16, 1914. His horses
and wagons, however, were saved. The barn was immediately rebuilt according
to improved plans. Besides the new barn there is an office building and a
wagon house.
HOFFMAN AND FOLLWEILER. The contracting firm, composed of
Alvin J. Hoffman and W. A. FoUweiler, established themselves on Church
Street in 1902. By the end of five years their patronage had developed to such
222
THE HISTORY
proportions as to require larger stables, sheds and storage facilities. Thej' moved
to Sixth Street below Chapel, where they erected a brick structure large enough
to accommodate their various re(|uirements. They have a large ice storage
whence they supply their wholesale and retail trade with Bear (-reek and Min-
HOFFMAN AND FOLLWEILER STABLES
eral Springs ice. They carry a stock of sand, cement, and vitrified bricks. They
eonti'aet for hauling and cement construction. They also run a blacksmith shop.
The firm uses eighteen horses in their business and also run four ice wagons
and five hauling wagons. Their e(iuipnu'nt is valued at about fifteen thousand
dollars.
CAfjVIN 1). PETERS. In 11)12 Calvin I). Peters began taking contracts
for cement work. His skill in the use of this kind of building material and his
ability in handling the business side of contracts, both large and small, has
brought to him much of this kind of construction work. The number of men
that he employs varies from twelve to eighteen. The capacity of his mixer is
large enough to handle the biggest local contracts. He has done a large part
of the reenforced concrete building in this section.
C;ATASAUQUA granite works. Opposite the entrance to Pairview
Cemetery on Lehigh Avenue, stands the stone cutting establishment of the Cata-
sauipia Granite AVorks. Elmer M. Bernd, the proprietor, started the business
in 1899 and since that date has set a large nundjer of the monuments and head-
OF CATASAUQTJA 223
stones in Pairview. He buys the finished stone and with the assistance of one
stone cutter does the lettering. Mr. Bernd is a skilled and careful workman,
a reliable and successful business man.
ZELLERS. The native barber, Franz Zellers, now almost an octogenarian,
is a native of Bavaria. He learnt his trade in Vienna, to which city he came in
1848. Barbers, in those days, were expected to take a course in surgery, so
that they might be able to attend to many wants of the afflicted. The barber
who took the prescribed course was granted a diploma under which he was
permitted to operate. The law of the country also required the shops of surgical
barbers to be kept open by night as well as by day. Franz Zellers took the pre-
scribed course in Vienna and was graduated at the age of eighteen years.
He served his country for eight years in the Austrian Army, having been
draughted in 1859. In 1866 he migrated to this country, and located as a barber,
at Steubenville, Ohio. He came to Catasauqua in 1871 and opened the shop
at 507 Front Street.
His son, Alvin R. Zellers, assisted his father, when a lad of but ten sum-
mers. When he reached his manhood he entered into partnership with him ; and
when the father retired in 1898, the son succeeded him.
A genial tonsor who knows how to administer a smooth shave is a source
of great comfort and delight to his crinated victim that may be possessed of an
effeminate skin.
GEORGE W. FITZHUGH. Undoubtedly, one of the oldest residents as
well as the oldest barber in point of service is none other than the colored gen-
tleman, George W. Fitzhugh. It was on June 30, 1873 (forty-one year ago),
that Mr. Fitzhugh came to Catasauqua and became an assistant barber to Wm.
Welch. Mr. Welch died on July 4, 1874, when the present proprietor launched
into business for himself by purchasing the good will and barber shop from his
former employer's heirs.
The building in which the shop is located was originally the town fire-engine
house, built by a company of young men who were desirous of organizing a
fire company. Here for many years the old fashioned hand pump engine was
housed and five charter members of that first company still survive. The build-
224
THE HISTORY
ing is eighteen by twenty-one feet and is a one story structure.
Mr. Fitzhugh has the enviable distinction of having shaved every burgess
except three, viz., Uriah Bruner, William Goetz, and A. C. Lewis ; and further-
more, he has never missed one day in forty-one years in not being able to attend
to his business.
QUINTUS H. SMITH. Quintus H. Smith never has any difficulty in re-
membering the time when he became an apprentice to Joe Norton, who had a
barber shop at 223 Front Street. It was in the year of the great blizzard, 1888,
that he started out with the ambition of becoming a barber. For four years he
INTERIOR OF SMITH'S BARBER SHOP
worked zealously with Mr. Norton when he went to Hokendauqua and set up a
shop of his own on the corner of Second and Lehigh Streets. Remaining here
three years, he located a new shop on the corner of Second and Mulberry Streets
of town in 1896.
Peculiar to relate, Mr. Smith finally drifted back to the building where
he had started out as an apprentice. A Mr. Moats had had a barber shop here
in the meantime, but had left some time previous. Mr. Smith endeavored to
OP CATASAUQUA
22.")
build up the trade that Mr. Moats had abandoned. He succeeded very well
and eight years later sold out to Kurtz Brothers of Bethlehem. Kurtz Brothers,
in 1909, moved the shop to 215 Front Street, in the building formerly occupied
by the Beitel Jewelry Store. Mr. Smith was retained by these people as their
manager." It was here that the Kurtz proprietors furnished one of the finest
tonsorial parlors in the Borough. They completely designed and made the
furnishings themselves at a cost of $2400. However, Mr. Smith's dreams were
to become proprietor of this up-to-date and first class barber shop, and accord-
ingly two years later, he bought back the business from Kurtz Brothers, and
ever since has continued as proprietor. During the past years his business has
grown to such an extent that it requires the assistance of his two sons to attend
to the trade.
WILLIAM ROXBERRY.
A number of years ago, when
Catasauqua had one of the best I
semi-professional baseball teams
in Eastern Pennsylvania, no
less a personage than William
R. Roxberry, the congenial and
up-to-date barber, was the um-
pire. At the same time, Mr.
Roxberry conducted his barber
shop at Front and Walnut
Streets where anyone desiring
to have any tonsorial work done
could also receive information as to the doings in the baseball world.
When the room occupied by Mr. Roxberry was converted into a motion
picture theatre, it necessitated his moving into the Edgar building upon its
completion, December 18, 1912. Here he invested one thousand dollars in
equipment and to-day can boast of one of the most modern and sanitary tonsorial
parlors in the Lehigh Valley.
OLIVER H. GIERING. Prior to Oliver H. Giering's assuming the pro-
INTERIOR OF ROXBERRY'S SHAVING PARLOR
226 THE HISTORY
prietorship of the barber shop at 509 Second Street, he worked as an assistant
to Mr. Edwin Weiss. In 1902 Mr. Giering purchased the business from Mr.
Weiss and has had charge of the shop since. About two years ago he remodeled
his parlor and now can boast of an up-to-date barber shop. Mr. Giering has
a long line of shaving mugs on his shelves which is indicative of a large pa-
tronage.
EGBERT BAUMER. It seems that Robert Baumer, the barber at 1112
Third Street, has not had the usual experience of most barbers, in that he has
not moved from the above place since he started in business. Mr. Baumer also
has the distinction of having been the first barber in North Catasauqua.
Equipped with all the latest and up-to-date appliances and being a genial pro-
prietor, he enjoys a lucrative trade.
EDWIN WEISS. Edwin Weiss located as a barber at 509 Second Street
in 1887 and retained the proprietorship until 1902, when he sold out to 0. H.
Giering. From here he moved to 1143 Third Street, where he remained until
1905. Desirous of having a residence of his own, he built a dwelling at 1205
Third Street, with the barber shop in the front part of the building. Here
Mr. Weiss enjoys a large trade and helps to keep the gentlemen of North Cata-
sauqua smooth of mien.
JOHN H. MISSMER. In 1908 Samuel Roth established a barber-shop
at 424 Second Street. Two years later, April 2, 1910, the present proprietor
bought out Mr. Roth. Within two months after starting, Mr. Missmer added
another chair and completely renovated the shop. It is understood among the
male members of his community that to have a good shave is to go to Missmer 's.
SAMUEL A. ROTH. Samuel A. Roth started in business as a barber
on February 15, 1909, at 424 Second Street. Here he remained a little over a
year when he moved to 429 Front Street. During 1912 the second-hand, furni-
ture store located at 611 Front Street was vacated and Mr. Roth thought this
place very desirable for a barber shop. He changed the store room into a first
class shop and now is able to satisfy all those desiring a hair cut or shave.
OP CATASAUQTJA
227
WILLIAM B. JOHNSTON. William B. Johnston started in business on
Race Street and remained there for a period of fifteen years. Upon the death
of Joe Wehrley, who had his barber shop at 33 Front Street, Mr. Johnson pur-
chased his present place of business. Shortly after, he installed all the latest
sanitary appliances and completely renovated the shop. Here he has been
located for the past one and a half years and attends to all the tonsorial needs
of the gentlemen of the lower end of town.
THB MAJESTIC THBATRB. The pioneer moving picture man in town
is W. H. Wentz. Mr. Wentz has had a feeling that much good can be done
a community by affording it clean and instructive amusement ; and, therefore,
proceeded to build the Majestic Theatre on the corner of Front and Pine Streets
in August, 1909. The building was twenty-four by sixty feet with a capacity
THE MAJESTIC THEATRE
of two hundred seats. Mr. Wentz has been concerned constantly with the com-
forts of his patrons so that not a season passed without his having made some
kind of improvements; and during the spring of 1914, he built an addition to
the Majestic so as to increase its size to fifty-five by ninety-eight feet and its
capacity to seven hundred and five seats. The theatre is heated by steam, venti-
lated by a special ceiling apparatus, and has a fire-proof boiler-house. This is
probably the first theatre of its kind in the state that is constructed according
228
THE HISTORY
to legal requirements. Association films are used. Mr. Wentz is an extremely
public spirited man. For recreation, as well as pleasure, he has been fitting his
ground beside the theatre for skating in winter; for baseball in summer; for
basket-ball in fall and for quoit pitching for all during the warm weather.
THE PALACE THEA-
TRE. The Palace Theatre is
the creation of William H. Mau-
ley and W. R. Roxberry, and
is located on the corner of
Front and Walnut Streets.
Besides a moving picture show
house, the Palace also offers
vaudeville attractions. The I
building was completed October '
12, 1912, and is most beautifully j
adorned.. Its size is thirty by
one hundred feet and its ca-
pacity offers three hundred and
fifty seats These people censor and select their films with caution so as to offer
the public elevating and clean entertainment.
PALACE THEATRE
OF CATASAUQUA 229
CHAPTER VIII— HOTELS.
HOTELS.
During the days of stage-coach travel the public house in a given community
was the place around which the whole surrounding country centered. Cities and
towns then were situated far apart. A trip to Allentown and return meant a
day's journey. No one thought of taking a "run" to the city after supper and
returning for bed before the second watch of the night. The nights, too, were
dark, as God intended they should be, that men might all the better sleep. The
traveler could not know he approached a city by the reflection of her arc-lights in
the heavens. Only robbers haunted the dark waysides during the small hours
of the night or perchance a belated wanderer who had lost his course. To such
a one the glimmering light that shone out of the distant maze of dropping dews
was a welcome beacon. Having reached its standard, lifting high the name of its
location and genial host, the weary wanderer speaks a gentle Ho ! to his willing
beast, and implores the versatile landlord to tell him, "How far to my destina-
tion?", "May I lodge here for the night?" and countless other queries. He now
puts up at the Ho-tell.
biery's hotel.
The hostelry of Biery's-Port was Biery's Hotel, located on Race Street.
This is the beautiful, cut stone structure at the rear of the American Hotel.
It was built in 1826 and its foundation and walls are still in a perfect condition.
The property now belongs to George B. F. Deily.
AMERICAN HOTEL.
The first large hotel which a traveler beholds when entering Catasauqua by
trolley is the American. It is one of the oldest hotels in the Borough, having been
230
THE HISTORY
built in 1852. Latei', in 1889, it was entirely rebuilt and made up-to-date in every
respeet. Today the hotel has thirty-two rooms and is capable of accommodating
AMERICAN HOTEL
about fifty guests. There were no less than fifteen proprietors since the time of its
erection, the present one being George Monshein.
THE EAGLE HOTEL.
Joseph Laubach built the Eagle Hotel in 1850. Located on Front and
Bridge Streets within easy access of the Catasau(|ua stations, the Eagle was a
popular hostelry from the beginning. In 1861 his son, William H. Laubach,
Ijought the business and continued until 1865, when his brother, Franklin P., suc-
ceeded him. In 1876 the father again took charge and continued until 1886,
when Oscar H. Harte purchased the property. After Mr. Harte's death in 181)1
OF CATASAUQUA
231
his widow, Floranda, became proprietress. Mrs. Harte sold out to Captain W. H.
Bartholomew who sold the property November 6, 1906, to the present proprietor,
Edward L. Walker. The hotel contains thirty-six rooms and is modern in all its
appointments and equipment. Many improvements have been made to the
EAGLE HOTEL
property at various times so as to keep the Eagle in pace with the times. The
bar-room is especially well fitted out with modern and sanitary appliances. There
is also a commodious stable connected with the hotel.
THE PENNSYLVANIA HOTEL.
The Pennsylvania Hotel was built by Harrison Hower in 1855. Two addi-
tions were made to the original structure at certain times, and in 1909, Mr. John
W. Geiger, the present proprietor, remodeled the adjoining tobacco store and
attached it to his hotel as a beautiful and inviting Rathskeller. The names of
certain proprietors are still to be found but the tenure of their respective
proprietorships are not known. Mr. Hower was followed by Edward Overspeek,
and his brother Oliver, Adam Bellesfield, Aaron Vogel, Ed. Golding, Mr. Von
Steuben, Moses Guth, Charles N. Alberts, and his brother George, Fitchie and
Geiger, and- the present proprietor. The hotel has thirty rooms and is equipped
with hot and cold water and steam heat.
232
THE HISTORY
OF CATASAUQUA 233
THE CATASAUQUA HOUSE.
In 1849 Catasanqua had two hotels, the American house on the corner of
Front and Race Streets, at that time the centre of the town, and the Temperance
House, which was in the building now occupied by the Fuller Oil Company at
the corner of Front and Church Streets. In that year Jessie Knauss came here
from Cedar Creek and built the Catasauqua House. Because of the strong
temperance sentiment it was very difficult to obtain a license. After a protracted
contest the court at AUentown granted a license to the Catasauqua House and
also to the Eagle Hotel, which was opened at the same time. To celebrate the
license victory in both hotels a parade was arranged. With all the pomp of a
Roman Triumph, bands playing and flags flying, the jubilant victors marched up
Front Street.
With this spectacular origin the Catasauqua House has quietly lived on. At
the end of a long list of proprietors is that of Frederick Sehwegler, the present
owner. He bought the hotel in March, 1906, and since that date has been its
capable manager. The house has twenty-two rooms, heated by steam and lighted
by both electricity and illuminating gas.
THE PAEMEe's hotel.
This hotel, located on Front Street, but a short distance below the northern
Borough limits, was styled originally. The Crystal Palace. It was built by
Charles Clausen early in the sixties. When Owen MeCarty got possession of it,
he improved the property and called it The Farmer's Hotel. Mr. McCarty was
considered an exceptionally well qualified hotel man. The Farmer's Hotel was
the center of many a political storm. Many a luminary of the County and State
blazed from McCarty 's piazza, and illumined the gaping crowd upon the per-
plexing issues of the day. In 1895 John Fisher acquired control of the property
and managed the affairs of the hotel for seven years. About twelve years ago
Frank McCarty took possession of the Farmer's and is still its proprietor. The
building accommodates fourteen guests, is heated by steam, illuminated by gas
and electricity, and supplied with hot and cold water. There is also stabling for
seven horses.
234
THE HISTORY
THE ST. GEORGE HOTEL.
The St. George Hotel was established at No. 607 Front Street in 1859 by
George Koop, a Veteran who served under Captain Harte in the Catasauqua
Militia. In 1872 the Hon. Ernest Nagle acquired it and continued to be its
scholarly proprietor until 1894. Mr. Nagle had quite a reputation as a Latin
scholar. Since 1894 Leopold Ehle conducts the place. He now calls it Ehle's
Cafe.
THE NORTHAMPTON HOUSE.
This hotel dates back sufficiently to be considered one of the oldest hotels
in North Catasauqua, although the exact date of its establishment has been lost.
David Jones was proprietor at the close of the eighties. In 1890 the proprietor-
ship passed into the hands of Alfred Hahn whose tenure lasted but two years.
Mr. Hahn, however, accomplished a marvelous feat. Without a dollar to his
credit, he erected the beautiful three story frame structure still standing on the
eastern approach to the Hokendauqua Bridge, and furnished it in first class
style. Mr. Hahn possessed a keen mind and bore a convincing personality.
Joseph Gorman acquired the property through a forced sale and after seven
months passed the property over to Daniel H. Harris whose tenure is twenty-one
years. The house accommodates thirty-four people, is heated by steam, illum-
inated by gas and electricity, and furnished with hot and cold water. There is
also a commodious stable.
THE IMPERIAL.
After the National Bank of Catasauqua had finished her triumphal procession
into her new home at Second and Bridge Streets, in 1903, her old habitation on
Front Street below Mulberry was converted into a hotel, called the Im-
perial. This originally was James Lackey's general store, a building two
and one-half stories high. During 1858, it was converted into a banking house,
as the article on the National Bank relates. In 1867 the building was enlarged
and modernized so as to meet the growing demands of a progressive institution.
The first proprietors of the Imperial were Lovine Miller and John G. Sacks.
Having bought the interests of these gentlemen, Adam Langkammer took pos-
session in May, 1906, and is still the monarch of the Imperial. The house is a
three and one-half story brick building, heated by hot water and has a hot and
cold water service. Its capacity offers comforts to seventy-five guests.
OF CATASAUQtIA
235
THE CATASAUQUA BREWERY SALOON.
This place, No. 110 Second Street, is named the Catasauqua Brewery Saloon
since it serves the public like a stream flowing directly from the spring. It
was founded in 1869 by Matthew Millhaupt. In 1872 it passed into the control of
Christian Stockberger ; 1884, Mr. Hill ; 1888, Felix Keller. There were a number
IMPERIAL HOTEL
of proprietors during the nineties : John Dold, Simon Butler, Charles Albert,
Mr. Werkheiser, William McKeever, Ernest Ritter, Mr. Freeman, Jacob Lutz,
Christian Walker, Harvey Gilbert. The present proprietor is Joseph Wirth. His
house has accommodations for twelve guests. It is heated by steam and illum-
inated by electricity.
THE UNION HOTEL.
August Richter built the Union Hotel at the five points of Second and Union
Streets and Howertown Avenue during 1871. After a long tenure Mr. Richter
sold out to Samuel Wint who was succeeded by Benjamin Whitehall. M. Mark-
236 THE HISTORY
ward followed Mr. Whitehall and in 1903 transferred the business to William
Walker. On October 9, 1911, Mr. Walker sold out to Paul J. Ambrose, the
present proprietor. The house affords quarters for eight guests.
THE ORIENTAL HOTEL.
The building on the south east corner of Mulberry Street and Howertown
Avenue was erected by Samuel J. Koehler as a general store and dwelling. Dur-
ing 1898 Mr. Koehler converted the store into a bar-room and arranged the
building generally for hotel accommodations. After holding license for four
years, Mr. Koehler sold out to M. Markward, the present proprietor. The house
contains twelve rooms and is well illuminated and heated.
THE MANSION HOUSE.
The Mansion House on Front Street below Bridge was erected by Captain
Plenry Harte during the sixties. After a tenure of some years his son, Lewis K.,
popularly known as "Kos," succeeded him. Other landlords were Albert Pry,
Prank Medlar and Hopkins and Harteg. Harteg sold out to Hopkins, who,
January 24, 1889, conveyed the property to H. R. Blocker, the present incumbent.
The house contains twenty rooms, and is equipped with hot and cold water, steam
heat, electric light and telephone service.
THE HOTEL PAIRMOUNT.
License for this hotel, located at Race and Eleventh Streets, was first lifted
by Theodore Geiger in 1897. After one year, Conrad A. Steitz acquired it and
continued as its genial proprietor until his death July 1, 1907. Since then, Mrs.
Frances Steitz and her son, Frank C. Steitz, as manager, are cnoducting the
business. The house is a three story frame building, well lighted by electricity
and heated by steam. There are two rooms devoted to the accommodations of the
public. The hotel stable has stalls for ten horses.
THE HORSE SHOE HOUSE.
It is said that Mrs. Malone started in business on North Front Street some
years ago and continued until Stephen Czapp secured the place in 1900. In 1905
John Smajda bought it and is still its genial proprietor. The house contains
fifteen rooms heated by steam.
OP CATASAUQUA 237
THE HOTEL WALKEK.
Gottlieb Schramm reconstructed and equipped a building as a saloon on
Race Street in the Third ward, some time during the eighties. In 1896 Edward
L. Walker took the property and improved it a great deal. He also erected a
stable large enough to accommodate eight horses. He called the place THE
HOTEL WALKER. In 1905, Arthur Walker acquired the stand and continued
until C. H. Bellner relieved him by purchasing it in 1913. The hotel accommo-
dates twelve guests.
LIQTTOR STORE.
Messrs. R. Frank Stine and A. C. Kramlich established the wholesale liquor
business on Church Street, above Front, in 1872.
In 1900, Mr. Oscar J. Stine came to Catasauqua and was employed by Stine
and Kramlich as salesman.
In 1898 he bought the copartnership share of Mr. Kramlich and the Arm
name was changed to Stine & Bro.
When Mr. R. Frank Stine 's health failed, his brother bought the entire busi-
ness, September, 1912, and now the sign reads, "Oscar J. Stine, Wholesale Liquor
Dealer."
By his genial personality and clean business principles, Mr. Stine has de-
veloped a very fine trade.
BOTTLING PLANT.
August Hohl purchased the old Biery homestead on the north-west corner of
Second and Race Streets in the spring of 1888, and converted the basement of the
stately stone mansion into a bottling plant. In the spring of 1901, Mr. Hohl
also began the wholesale liquor trade. The business increased to such propor-
tions as to warrant the search for new quarters. In 1906, he bought from Mr.
McKeever the large three story building on Front and Race Streets. The old
store was converted into a well equipped and most sanitary bottling house, and
wholesale liquor store. Durftig 1907, a cold storage plant was built at Race
Street and the tracks of the C. R. R. of N. J., where a large supply of beers, ales
and porter is constantly laid up. Mr. Hohl also manufactures all kinds of car-
bonated beverages. His trade radiates around Catasauqua to the extent of fully
twenty miles.
238 THE HISTORY
CHAPTER IX.-PROFESSIONAL MEN.
DR. FREDERICK W. QUIG. Dr. Frederick W. Quig caitie to this coun-
try in 1847 and for a time worked about the furnaces. An accident occurring
at the works brought about the discovery that Dr. Quig had been educated at
the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, for a physician. He did no more manual
labor, but opened an office in the McAllister home and continued to hold a very
successful practice while he lived.
When the "black cholera" was epidemic in the town, Dr. Quig proved him-
self a hero. He was never known to neglect a patient and lived an exemplary
life. In 1849 he married Ann Elizabeth Leslie of Mauch Chunk, whose death
is of recent occurrence.
DR. GEORGE McINTYRE. Dr. George Mclntyre, son of John Mclntyre,
was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1842. He went through our Borough schools,
entered Claverack Institute on the Hudson, and two years later, was admitted
to Lafayette College. He graduated from this institution with honor in 1866,
and three years later was granted a diploma from the medical department of
the University of Pennsylvania.
Returning to Catasauqua, he opened an office and-for a time practiced his
profession; but in 1870 he left for Quincy, Illinois, where he died about three
years later. His was the first college diploma brought to the Borough by one
who had gone through its common schools. Dr. George Mclntyre was of hand-
some, dignified appearance, a general favorite, and his manners were the per-
fection of courtesy. His early death was much deplored.
DR. H. H. RIEGEL. Henry Harrison Riegel, M. D., the son of former
sheriff of Northampton County, Daniel Riegel and his wife Hannah, nee Weaver,
was born in AUentown, Pa., November 12, 1836.
OF CATASAtTQUA
239
While his father was proprietor of the Nazareth Inn from 1840, Henry at-
tended the Moravian school at Nazareth Hall. At the age of eighteen years,
he began the study of medicine under Dr. W. E. Barnes of Bath, Pa., and in
the fall of 1855 he entered the medical department of the University of Penn-
sylvania, where he remained for one year. In the fall of 1856, he entered the
Jefferson Medical College from which he was graduated the following spring.
Dr. H. H. Riegel opened his office at Cherryville, May 5, 1857, where he
continued until June, 1861, when the "Westward Ho!" fever lured him to
Saegerstown in Crawford County, six miles
beyond Meadville. He remained until the
following February, when, upon the impor-
tunity of his father, he returned and located
at Weaversville, Pa., where he succeeded the
late Dr. Walter F. Martin.
In the fall of 1869, he located at No. 27
Front Street, Catasauqua, where he enjoys
the implicit confidence of a large constitu-
ency.
Dr. Riegel is the only survivor of eight
of Dr. Barnes' students. In May, 1889,
President Harrison appointed him a Pension
Examiner to serve with Dr. P. L. Reichert,
and Dr. H. H. Herbst. His commission ran
out during Grover Cleveland's term. The
doctor is a director of the National Bank of
Catasauqua since 1879 and serves as Vice President of the Board. He partici-
pated in the organization of the Slatington Bank in 1875. He served three terms
as school director, and was President of the Board during the time the Lincoln
Building was erected.
DR. H. H. RIEGEL
He is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church since 1870. As
Burgess, he served the Borough from 1909 to 1914.
Socially, he belongs to the Masonic Fraternity — the Porter Lodge at Cata-
240
THE HISTORY
sauqua, the Knights Templar at Allentown and the Rajah Temple at Reading.
The Doctor was married to Ellen J., daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth
(nee Hummel) Gish, July 3, 1858. Their children are: Clifford H., Dr. Wil-
liam A., Emma L., the wife of S. B. Harte, and Mattie G., the wife of Thomas
W. Keen, all of Catasauqua.
He is a member of the Lehigh County Medical Society (an Ex-President),
the Lehigh Valley Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Association
and the American Medical Association.
Although past seventy-seven years of age, the doctor follows up his daily
practice with the zeal and buoyancy of a man in the prime of life.
William A. Riegel, M. D., son of Dr. H. H. Riegel and his wife Ellen J.,
nee Gish, was born at Weaversville, Pa., May
17, 1864.
He was graduated from the Catasauqua
Schools in the Spring of 1880, and, after
attending the Weaversville Academy for two
years, he entered the tutelage of G. J. Ben-
ner in the preparation for college. He en-
tered Pennsylvania College in the fall of
1881, from which institution he was graduat-
ed in June, 1885.
In the fall of the same year, he entered
the Medical department of the University of
Pennsylvania from which he was graduated
in 1889.
On the 15th of May in the year of his
graduation, he began the general practice of
medicine with his father, and shares his noble
reputation for conscientious attention to duty and laudable success in the treat-
ment of his cases.
The Doctor married Miss Cora, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Stein-
hilber, July 20, 1892. There were born to them three children: Henry H.,
Dorothy I., and William A., Jr.
DR. WILLIAM A. RIEGEL
OF CATAS.VUQUA
241
He is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council of the Masonic
Order. He has also affiliated with the Elks, Moose, Buffalo, and Woodmen of
the World. Like his father he is medical examiner for a number of Life Insurance
companies.
DR. DANIEL YODER. Dr. Daniel Yoder was born in Maxatawny Town
ship, Berks County, September 30, 1833. He was the oldest of eleven children
and is now the only surviving niernber of his family. He was educated at Beth-
lehem and the Vandeveer Academy of Easton. At the age of twenty he directed
his attention to teaching and for a time had charge of the Levan school at Sieg-
fried's. In 1855 he began the study of medicine under Drs. Edward Martin
and son Walter of Weaversville, and the following year entered the medical
department of the University of Pennsylvania, where he took a course of lec-
tures.
Later he conducted his studies in the Pennsylvania Medical College at
Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in
June, 1858. He then entered into partner-
ship at Catasaur-iua with Dr. F. B. Martin,
after whose death he continued for himself.
He opened an office on Front Street above
Bridge and carried on a very successful prac-
tice for fifty years. He is the oldest surviv-
ing Homeopathic physician in the Lehigh
Valley.
As a loyal member of the Masonic Fra-
ternity, the Doctor served as treasurer of the
Porter Lodge for forty-four years. He is
also distinguished for holding the longest
continuous membership of any Brother of the
local I. 0. 0. P.
Dr. Yoder is a member of the following
Medical societies: The American Institute of
Homeopathy, the Medical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh Valley Medi-
cal Society. Of the last named he is a charter member and was elected its first
President.
DR. DANIEL YODER
242
THE HISTORY
In 1863, M'hen Lee invaded Pennsylvania, Dr. Yoder volunteered as a sur-
geon in the 88tli Emergency Militia and served as Hospital Steward mitil tlie war
was ended.
In 1861 he was marrietl to Amanda E. Glaee, daughter of Samuel Glace, who
was prominently identitied for a numher of years with the Lehigh ('anal and the
Crane Iron Works iu their early history. They recently celebrated their fifty-
third anniversary. In 1873 he purchased a desirable lot at Third and Bridge
Streets, Gatasau(|na, and erected a large l)rick residence and office where he
still resides. Since his retirement, the Doctor has devoted much of his time in
helping to organize and promote the Lehigh National Bank and in directing the
erection of a tine Bank Building. He acted as chairman of the building com-
mittee. He is a director of the bank since its organization.
DOCTOR- M. E. HORNBECK. The late
Doctor Molton Edward Hornbeck was l)orn at
AUentown, January 27, 1842. His father was
John Westbrook Hornbeck, a successful law-
yer who practiced before the Lehigh County
Bar. He was elected to the House of Repre-
sentatives as a mendier of the 13th Congress,
and was a cotemporary of Abraham Lincoln
of Illinois, J. Q. Adams of ]\Iassachusetts,
H. Cobli of Georgia, and A. Johuson of Ten-
nessee. His mother was Maria Martin Horn-
heck, and was the first post mistress appointed
in AUentown. She held this position for six-
teen years. On liis maternal side Dr. Horn-
beck traces a long line of medical men. He
was the 35th in a direct line of the Martins to
graduate from the Medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania.
He received his early education in the public schools of AUentown. Later lie
attended the private school of Gregory in AUentown, after which he entered the
Philadelphia Scliool of Pliarmacy from which he was graduated in 1862. After
DR. M. E. HORNBECK
OF CATASAUQUA 243
having served as druggist in the Martin Pharmacy at Hall and Hamilton Streets
for a few months, he was mustered into the 128th Regiment of the Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry, September 4, 1862, as a Hospital Steward. He passed
through the battle of Antietam, Burnside 's Second Campaign, the battle of Chan-
eellorsville, besides some minor engagements. He was honorably discharged and
mustered out of service May 19, 1863.
He now took up the study of medicine with his uncle, the late Dr. Tilghman
Martin of AUentown. After a course in the University of Pennsylvania, he was
graduated in 1865. He came to Catasauqua to assist his uncle, Dr. F. B. Martin,
who departed this life but three years later. He assumed full control of his
uncle 's practice and continued a most successful physician until he retired in the
fall of 1901. He was surgeon for the Lehigh Valley R. R. Company for ten
years.
Dr. Hornbeck was married to Miss Mary Laubach, daughter of Judge
Joseph Laubach and his wife, a member of the Swartz family, in 1868. The
Judge held office in Northampton County for twelve years and was a member of
the U. S. Senate in 1855. Three children were born to them : Dr. J. L. Hornbeck,
Catasauqua; Westbrook Hornbeck, deceased; and Helen, Mrs. R. A. Carter of
Audenried, Pa.
Dr. Hornbeck died October 5, 1905, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. His
body lies buried in the Pairview Cemetery.
DR. JAMBS L. HORNBECK. Our present Doctor Hornbeck has an emi-
nent right to his degree and station as a physician, being the thirty-sixth lineal
descendant of the house of the Martins, the clan of doctors. He was born May 10,
1873, and received his preliminary education in the public schools of Town, from
which he was graduated, in June 1889. He then matriculated in the Williston
Seminary, East Hampton, Mass., where he graduated in the Biological Course in
1891. Until the fall of 1892 he assisted his father. Dr. M. E. Hornbeck, in his
office work. At this time he entered the Medical Department of the University
of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1895. Since his graduation he practiced medi-
cine in Catasauqua, first as assistant to his father, and since 1901 as his father's
successor.
244
THE HISTORY
Dr. Hornbeck entered into matrimony with Miss Helen Thomas, daughter
of the late James Thomas and his wife, Mary Davies Thomas, in 1901. Their
children are : Thomas Molton, James Laubach, Jr., and Dorothy Hornbeck.
The Doctor is a member of the State, County, Lehigh Valley and American
Medical Associations. He belongs to the Philadelphia Medical Club, the Elks
Club, and is a Chapter Mason. He is also a member of the Williston College
Fraternity founded in 1844 and bearing the initials "P. C. "
DR. C. J. KEIM. Charles J. Keim, M. D., the son of Leopold Keim and his
wife Mary, nee Stahr, was born near Bethlehem, Pa., March 19, 1843. The land
of the Keim family was purchased by an ancestor of this clan from the Propri-
etary of this State, "William Penn. At the age of thirteen the subject of this
sketch left the old farm for a career at school. He attended the "Wyoming
Seminary for a season, after which he took a
course in Lasher 's School, Easton, Pa. School
days having ended, he became a clerk in a .
general store at Butztown, Pa. Later he
drifted into a store in AUentown. In 1862 he
was mustered in as a member of Company F.,
of the Fifth Penna. Home Guards, of Bethle-
hem. Upon his honorable discharge he opened
a general store at Eighth and Hamilton
Streets, AUentown, Pa.
After several years of business experi-
ence he sold out, came to Catasauqua and be-
gan to read medicine with Dr. M. E. Horn-
beck. In the fall of 1873, he entered the Medi-
cal Department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania from which he was graduated in March,
1873. Dr. Keim immediately opened his office
in Catasauqua and developed a large practice at Number 742 Front Street, which
he bestowed upon his son. Dr. H. J. S. Keim after his graduation from the
Medico- Chirurgical College in Philadelphia.
Dr. C. J. Keim has always taken an active and intelligent interest in
DR. C. J. KEIM
!'.P CATASVUQUA
24.")
iiuiniripal affairs. In 1S78 Iw was elected a iiicinliei' of t)ie Scliodl lioard in vvliieli
he sei'vetl the ediiiiiniity for thi-ee years. He served tlir-ee t(^rins in Town Coiineil
of whieli lie was pi'esident for some years, lie was elected P)iii-^'ess in liie fall of
11)0."), and, when the election of litlli came on, the niemor>' of his able and faithfid
services during his former term polled sufficient voti^s to elect him again to this
hitih office.
Dr. Keim is a memlier of the Lehigh C'oiinty Medical Society, of which
he served as president for one year. He also belongs to the Lehigh Valley Medical
.Society, and the State and American Medical Associations. The Doctor is a
Democrat in politics. In religion he is a consistent mendjer of Trinity Ev.
Lutheran Church.
DR. H. J. S. KEOL Dr. Harry J. S. Keim of Catasauipia, Pa., was horn in
the City of Allentown, and reared in (_'atasan(|na, he being the son of Dr. Charles
J. Keim. and his wife Eliza C, nee Seidei'. His father has been a medical pi'ac-
titioner in this Borongh since 1875, and at
'^- " ' present Jkirgess of this Dorongh, having
served the Borough in this same capacity from
1906 to 1909.
Dr. Keim attended the x^ublic schools of
this Borough until the yeai' LSST, when he
entered Muhlenberg College, attending there
for two years. He then entered the Agthe
Pharmacy in this Borough, In the year 1890,
he entered the University of Pennsylvania
for the study of Medicine, at -which institu-
tion he studied for three years, after which
he completed his medical coui'se in 1894 at the
Medico-Chiruj-gical College, Philadelphia.
In this same year (1894) he entered the
practice of Medicine in this borough, affiliat-
ing with his father until 190.5, when his
father relinquished the practice of medicine entirely, Dr. H. Keim assuming the
entire practice.
DR. H. J. S. KEIM
246 THE HISTORY
In 1895 he was married to Fannie H. Heller of Allentown, unto them were
born two daughters, Emma E. and A. Florence. In 1906, his wife died after a
short illness of typhoid fever.
In 1910 Dr. H. Keim was again married to Mabel A. Richardson of Allen-
town, and unto them was born a son, Charles R.
THOMAS A. SCHERER, M. D. Dr. Thomas A. Seherer was a physician of
exceptional ability, especially along pathological lines. His grandfather was
Samuel Seherer, a native of Lehigh County. His father was born in Upper Mil-
ford Township, Lehigh County, Pa., and in early life learnt the trade of carpen-
ter. He was a boss carpenter at the Hokendauqua furnaces for twenty years, and,
when he came to Catasauqua, he held a similar position at the Crane furnaces.
He retired in 1887. The Doctor's mother, Maria, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Peter Steinberger, also was a native of Lehigh County. His older brother, Wil-
liam H. Seherer, is a member of the firm of Frederick and Seherer, the Under-
takers.
Dr. Seherer was born at Petersville, Pa., October 23, 1856, and at the age of
twelve years entered the Franklin High School in Bethlehem. Upon his gradu-
ation he became an apprentice with Barber and Company at Allentown as a
machinist. Subsequently he found employment in the Davies and Thomas shops.
Not satisfied with his present station, he began to read medicine in 1880 under the
direction of Dr. H. H. Riegel, who still is a gifted teacher as well as an able
physician. He entered the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and was
graduated in the spring of 1883. He opened an office in Slatington in May of the
same year. The following year he returned to Catasauqua, the West Side, and
enjoyed a large and growing practice until his death, March 9, 1912.
He entered into Matrimony with Emma J., a daughter of Ferdinand and
Dorothy E. (nee Frederick) Briser, June 21, 1888. He took groat delight in
agriculture and the nursery. His truck farm was a model of beauty and pro-
ductiveness.
DR. CHARLES E. MILSON. Dr. Charles E. Milson, the second son of
Daniel and Elizabeth (Davis) Milson, was born in Catasauqua August 10, 1863.
His general education was acquired in the public schools of Catasauqua and the
OP CATASAUQUA
247
Weaversville Aeademy. After spending a short time in tlie office of Dr. Aaion
Heeker of l^etlileliem, Pa., he entei'ed the llahnenian Mediea.l (!olh'ge, Pliila-
deljihia. Pa. On Wareli 10, 1.S84, he was gi'aduated from that institution with
tile degree of Doetor of Medicine.
On ()ctolier 21, 1SS4-, lie was marriei^
to Cauuihi Eh'anor Deily, tlie daughter ot • ^
Fi'aneis S. and Sarah A. (Dicii > Deily. To
tliem four children were horn: Gertrude,
Helen, Ruth and Marie deceased).
Dr. ililson's fraternal affiliations ai-^':
Past Master of Porter Lodge No. 284,
F. and A. M. ; Past High Priest <,i Koyal
Arch Chapter, No. 278; Allen C'onnuard-
ary Xo. 20, Knight Templar, Arienfown.
Pa.: Allen Council No. 23, R. and S, M.,
Allentown, Pa. He is a memher of the
Catasauijua Board of Health
He is an earnest member of the First
Prcshytei'ian Church and politically he is a
staunch Republican.
In the early days of Catasauqua many
of her best citizens came from AVales, among whom was Daniel Milson. Dr.
Charles Milson is endowed with many of the characteristics of those pioneer
Catasauquans. Pie is an honored member of the medical profession, a loyal member
of his fraternal organizations, and a highly respected citizen of his native town.
DR. ALFRED J. BECKER. Dr. Alfred J. Becker, the son of the Rev. Jacob
and Mary Becker, was born at Siegfried, Northampton County, Mai-cli 18, 1861.
His father was a minister of the German Reformed (!hui-ch, serving as pastor of
the congregation at Towamensing ten years, and Shoenei'sville and Howertowu
forty-three years, where he preached with great acceptance to the people. The
DR. CHARLES E. MILSON
248
THE HISTORY
DR, ALFRED BECKER
paternal great grandfather of this subject, Rev. Chris-
tian Ludwig, D. D., one of the fathers of the Reformed
Church, was born in Germany Nov. 17, 175G. He re-
sided in Bremen till 1793, when he embarked for
America, arriving safely at Baltimore in August,
1793, and bearing with him the most flattering testi-
monials of his learning and piety.
The grandfather, Rev. Jacob Becker, was born in
Baltimore and became a minister in the Reformed
Church, preaching in Northampton and Lehign
Counties. He was also a Homeopathic physician, ,,e-
ing one of the first graduates of the Homeopathic
Medical College of Allentown, Pa.
Dr. Becker was reared in Catasauqua, his educa-
tion being obtained in the common schools in Weavers-
ville Academy under Professor Kuma's instruction.
He commenced the study of medicine with his uncle. Dr. Aaron Becker, a grad-
uate of the University of Pennsylvania and Assistant Surgeon of the One Hun-
dred Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War. After leaving
his uncle's office he went to Philadelphia and entered the Hahneman Medical
College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he attended the clinics and lectures of
the three year course, graduating in 1885.
Dr. Becker began the practice of medicine in Catasauqua, where he has prac
ticed for twenty-nine years. During this time he has built up an excellent busi-
ness and made for himself a host of friends. In the practice of medicine he has
given evidence of the possession of professional qualifications and ability such
as are won only through close application, earnest study and diligent researeli;
and, is therefore accounted one of the leading Homeopathic physicians of Lehigh
County.
Dr. Becker married on November 28, 1888, Ella, the daughter of Daniel
Schreiber of Coplay, Lehigh County.
He is a member of the Lehigh Valley Homeopathic Medical Society and of
the Alumni Association of the Hahneman Medical College of Philadelphia.
OF CATASATJQUA 249
Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the
P. 0. S. of A., being a past officer of both bodies. He is president of the Lehigh
Building and Loan Association, and a director of the Lehigh National Bank. He
is Reformed in religious faith, and a Republican in political belief.
DR. JOHN S. SCHNELLER. John S. Schneller, M. D., the son of Charles
W. Schneller and his wife Mamie (nee Schaeffer), was born in 1885. He at-
tended the town schools for a numljer of years after which he was enrolled in the
Allentown Preparatory School from which he was graduated in 1902. He re-
ceived his degree of Bachelor of Science from Muhlenberg College in 1906. His
medical training he acquired at the University of Pennsylvania and received
his diploma in 1910. He followed this up with a special course in diseases of
children and obstetrics interna at the Allentown Hospital. He opened his office
at 532 Second Street in July, 1911, and has developed a very flattering practice.
DR. HECKENBERGER. The Veterinary Surgeon, William A. Hecken-
berger opened his office in Catasauqua in 1850. He was born February 26, 1825,
in Saulgau, Wurtemberg, Germany. His father, Joseph Heckenberger, was
sheriff and. jailer in his native city and for fourteen years he sojourned in Russia.
His mother was Louisa Pocarius also a native of Germany. The subject of our
sketch sailed from Antwerp in 1848, and after a voyage of sixty days landed in
New York. He sought this section of the country on account of his inability to
converse freely in the English language. He was the first veterinary surgeon in
these parts. His scholarship (he was a graduate of the German Gymnasium)
and his great skill as a Veterinary soon gained for him a wide-spread reputation.
He was engaged by the Bethlehem Iron Company, the Crane Company and a
number of Coal-mining Companies to look after and treat their horses and mules.
He was a member of the Veterinary Medical Association of Pennsylvania; and
St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church. He died April 5, 1910, at the age of eighty-five
years.
Drs. Joseph and Henry Heckenberger were graduated from the Ontario Vet-
erinary College, Toronto, Canada. The former entered into partnership with his
father in 1880 and continued with signal success until his death, March 17, 1908.
The latter set up a practice in Pittston, Pa., where he continued until his
250 THE HISTORY
brother's decease, when he moved to Catasauqua to become the successor to the
firm of Dr. W. A. Heckenberger and Son. Dr. Henry Heekenberger and family
occupy the old homestead on Front Street above Union. The Doctor is a genial
and capable man having had an experience of more than thirty-six years in the
profession.
DENTISTEY.
Dr. J. P. Barnes, late of Allentown, was the first dentist who operated in
Catasauqua. While a student under Dr. SehoU at Bath, Pa., Mr. Barnes made
periodic visits to our town. He carried his tools in a satchel and did a great
deal of his work in people 's houses. His room was on Church Street. In those
days no narcotics, or pain killing drugs, were administered. Patients tried to sit
still until a tooth was filed down to the gums and an artificial tooth inserted by a
wooden pivot forced into the centre of the root. People were not so ready then
to believe that pain is only a delusion.
During the forties Thomas Butz, who farmed the land now covered by the
Hokendauqua Furnace, was an expert teeth extractor. People for miles around
would implore his services. If men's agonies drove them to him during working
hours, they would stop at the Butz farm house, secure "the hook" and carry it
to the field where Mr. Butz was at work. Here the latter would plant his patient
upon a stump, force the prong of the hook under the root of the tooth, hold his
victim down with his knee upon the thigh, and by a mighty twist pry out the
aching offender. Exclamation ! !
WESLEY WILLOUGHBY, D. D. S. Although he is a pain producer, he is
a convincing demonstration of a Homeopathic principle which says, that like
cures like. To find the root of the matter causes pain; but when the pain is
scientifically disturbed it ceases to ache. Doctor Wesley Willoughby is the son of
Captain John Willoughby and his wife Margaret Ann, nee Armstrong, and was
born in Charleston, Canada, September 29, 1871. The Doctor passed through
the grades of the schools of his native town. After this he was matriculated in
the Orangeville Boys' School, Orangeville High School, the Ontario College, and
the Orangeville Collegiate Institute from which he was graduated in 1893. In
the fall of the same year he entered the Dental department of the University of
OF CATASAUQUA 251
Pennsylvania from which he graduated in 1896. While taking his course in
Dental Surgery, he attended lectures in the Jefferson Medical College for two
years.
On the 26th of August he opened his Dental parlors in the old National Bank
Building on Front Sti-eet, where he built up a large i)atronage. He opened a
branch office in Siegfried, Pa., in 1897, but his home practice grew to such pro-
portions that he was constrained to close the Siegfried office after but a few years
tenure. When the National Bank sold its old property and moved to Second and
Bridge Streets in 1903, Doctor Willoughby built his comfortable quarters at
number 125 Bridge Street and moved his equipment. His place is home-like to
his patients and his practice more than sufficient to tax his robust strength.
Dr. Willoughby was married to Miss Tillie C. Frederick, daughter of Ogden
R. and Clara A., nee Fuller, Frederick, September 7, 1898. To this union was
born a son named Wesley F.
DR. J. EDWARD REHRIG. That Dentist is most sympathetic with his
patients who possesses the requisite skill to know where and how to cut, and has
manly courage sufficient to make a finished excavation with the smallest number
of strokes possible. These qualifications may be justly predicated of Dr. J.
Edward Rehrig.
The Doctor, is a son of John C. and Hannah M. (nee Sehock) Rehrig, and
was born in Mauch Chunk, Pa., August 20, 1884. He attended the public
schools of East Mauch Chunk until he was graduated in June, 1900. He was
employed as bookkeeper by the New Jersey Zinc Company at Palmerton, where
he served for less than a year, when he entered the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
Philadelphia, Pa., and labored as a steam-fitter. In 1903 he returned to Mauch
Chunk to engaged in business with his father, who was the proprietor of the
American Hotel.
Mr. Rehrig entered the Dental department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania in 1905 and was graduated in 1908. He now received the appointment of
Resident Dental Surgeon in the Philadelphia General Hospital, where he re-
mained one year. He was honored with office of vice-president of the Kirk
Dental Society during his senior year. He was the editor-in-chief of the class
252 THE HISTORY
record of 1908, and was a member of Psi Omega Dental Fraternity.
Dr. Eehrig opened his Dental rooms in the Lehigh National Bank building
in Catasauqua, April 1, 1909. On June 1, 1911, he was married to Miss Nellie J.
Miller of Bangor, Pa. They are now the proud parents of a little Miss named
Dorothy Miller Rehrig.
Socially the Doctor holds membership in the Catasauqua Porter Lodge, No.
284, F. and A. M., and the Royal Arch Chapter, No. 278.
WILLIAM H. GLACE. William H. Glace, lawyer at Catasauqua for 40
years, and a public official here for a time, was born Feb. 12, 1839, on the farm of
his grandfather, John Swartz, situated along the Lehigh River, one mile north of
Catasauqua, at Dry Run. He received his education in the public schools of the
vicinity, and in Wyoming Seminary, at Kingston, Penna.
One year prior to the Civil War, he went to Charleston, S. C, and secured
employment as entry clerk in the wholesale house of Thayer Dewing & Co.
While engaged here, he saw the weekly sales of slaves in an enclosed yard adjoin-
ing Broad Street, the thoroughfare of the city, and he observed the secret prepa-
rations which were made there for the "Conflict." A U. S. Arsenal was located
in this prominent place, which was being filled with munitions of war by the
then Secretary of War under President Buchanan. Great numbers of open
boxes with rifles were carried there and this performance at the. national deposi-
tory attracted much public attention.
Realizing that a conflict between the North and South was apparently im-
minent, Mr. Glace determined to return home while he could do so without
embarrassment; and shortly afterward he enlisted as a sergeant in Co. F., 47th
Penna. Volunteers. He continued in active service for three years, having
participated with his Regiment in all the battles of the Red River Expedition,
and also in the numerous engagements of a part of the Northern Army in de-
fending the outposts of Washington against the exciting raids by Confederates
under General Early.
Upon his discharge from the military service, he became the bookkeeper and
paymaster of the C. & F. R. R. Co. at Catasauqua and he flUed this position for
two years. Then he studied law in the offices of John H. Oliver, Esq., at Allen-
OP CATASAUQUA
253
town, and was admitted to practice in the sevt^ral courts of Lehigh County,
April 13, 1868. Soon after his admission to the Bar, the Auditor General of
Penna. (Gen. John F. Hartranft) selected him to be the Assessor of the National
Sanks in Lehigh, Northampton, and Monroe Counties, and he filled this position
for two years from 1868 to 1870. During this time he had begun a preliminary
WILUAM H. GLACE
practice of the law at Allentown. While there, in the fall of 1868, he was nomi-
nated for the Legislature by the Republican Party, and his popularity was shown
by receiving the highest vote of his party.
In the Fall of 1869, he was nominated for Justice of the Peace at Catasauqua,
254 THE HISTORY
and of the four candidates on the ticket he received the highest vote. He was
commissioned for five years, and, at the end of his term, this time was extended
to the spring of 1875 by the new State Constitution of 1874, and he was com-
missioned accordingly. He was elected Chief Burgess of the Borough and
officiated for the year 1876. He subsequently served as Auditor for six years, as
Borough Solicitor for seven years, and as School Solicitor for three years; and
he also acted as a Notary Public for 28 consecutive years.
In the practice of the law he directed his attention chiefly to the settlement
of estates in Catasauqua and the surrounding townships, the examination and
transmission of title to real estate in these districts, and the investment on reli-
able security, in all of which he became a safe adviser and recognized authority.
During the past twenty-five years he prepared the last wills of nearly all the
prominent men of the community. His practice in the respects mentioned be-
came very extensive, which evidences the large volume of business transacted by
him. After a continuous practice of forty years, he retired from the active
duties of professional life.
While a student at law at AUentown, Mr. Glace became a member of the
first post of the G. A. R. in Lehigh County, which was organized shortly ' after
the close of the Civil War. He has been a member for many years of the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia.
In 1870, Mr. Glace organized the Catasauqua Loan and Building Associa-
tion, and notwithstanding the financial panic which extended from 1873 to 1877
and seriously affected this community, he directed its affairs in such a successful
manner that it was dissolved in eleven years and all the shareholders received
their money.
In 1906, Mr. Glace with other persons at Catasauqua, organized the "Lehigh
National Bank, ' ' which embarked in the banking business and it has since been
conducted in a successful manner. He was selected as its first president and
officiated two years.
Mr. Glace, having been prominently identified with the history and develop-
ment of the community, published, in February, 1914, a compilation entitled
"Early History and Reminiscences of Catasauqua" as a historical contribution
OP CATASAUQUA 255
towards the proper observance of "Old Home Week" which the citizens de-
termined to celebrate.
In 1874, Mr. Glace was married to Mary Jennie Stark, a great graiul-
daughter of Aaron Stark, who fell as a sacrifice in the awful "Massacre of
Wyoming" in 1778, and whose remains repose under the historic Wyoming
Monument.
Mr. Glace 's father, Samuel Glace, was a native of Reamstown, in Lancaster
County. He was born in 1805 and when two years old his parents removed to
Conyngham, Luzerne County. He was educated in the English schools of the
village, and when he became of age he located at Mauch Chunk, where he entered
the employ of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co. Shortly afterwards he went to
Lehigh Gap and was the first person to manufacture hydraulic cement in the Le-
high Valley, a special paper on this subject having been prepared by his son
(the subject of this sketch) for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. In 1830,
he took up his residence at Biery's-Port upon receiving the appointment of
division superintendent of the canal from the "Slate Dam," at Laury's, to the
"Allentown Dam," and he filled this position for ten years; and afterward he
served the Crane Iron Co. as mining agent for many years. He lived in retire-
ment nearly twenty years at his residence. No. 307 Bridge Street, and he died in
1892, at the advanced age of 86 years. He was married to Isabella Swartz,
daughter of John Swartz, and they had two children: William 11. (the subject of
this sketch), and Amanda B., married to Dr. Daniel Yoder.
His mother's great-grandfather on the maternal side was John Jacob
Mickley, a Huguenot. Upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, his parents,
with numerous other countrymen, were obliged to flee from Prance and locate in
the Palatinate where he was born, and in 1733, he emigrated to Pennsylvania.
After landing at Philadelphia, he immediately proceeded up the Delaware and
Lehigh rivers and settled in the vicinity of Egypt on a tract of land four miles
north-west of Catasuaqua. In 1763, while three of his little children were
hunting chestnuts near their home, two of them were murdered by the Indians.
Other persons were also murdered during the Indian invasion. The Historical
Society of Lehigh County in the Fall of 1913, set up a stone "marker" in
Whitehall Township, about a mile from Egypt, to indicate the locality of the
256
THE HISTORY
massacre, and the names inscribed on this "marker" include those of the two
Mickley children. Three sons of this early settler were enlisted in the Revolu-
tion, and one of them brought the "Liberty Bell" from Philadelphia to Allen-
town, where it was secreted for a time in the cellar of Zion 's Reformed Church.
Her great-grandfather, on the paternal side, was Nicholas Swartz, who
settled in Longswamp Township, Berks County, in 1750, and in 1787 his son
Christian migrated to the Irish Settlement in Northampton County, where he
then built a large stone dwelling house along the Lehigh River near the outlet
of Dry Run ; and it was here that Mr. Glace 's mother, as well as he himself, was
born.
The residence of Mr. Glace is at 307 Bridge Street, Catasauqua, Pa., where
he has resided almost continuously since 1855.
R. CLAY HAMMERSLY. R. Clay
Hammersly was born in Dillsburg, York
County, Pa., January 29, 1834, and died
in Catasauqua, Pa., November 20, 1898.
In his youth his father moved to Gettys-
burg, Pa., where he obtained his edu-
cation in the public schools and in
Gettysburg College from which he was
graduated. After teaching for several
years in his native county, he came to
Allentown, Pa., where he taught school.
While teaching in this city, he reg-
istered as a law student and entered the
office of James S. Reese, being subse-
quently admitted to the bar with Capt.
A. B. Swartz.
He did not engaged in the practice
of law at once, but came to Catasauqua where he taught several terms in a Gram-
mar school. In 1863 he was elected Principal of the High School and continued
in this position for two years. He was Borough Solicitor and was elected Justice
R. CLAY HAMMERSLY
OF CATASAUQUA 257
of the Peace for the Second Ward, which office he held for many years. During
these years he became prominent and took a leading part in the affairs of Cata-
sauqua. He was one of the original members of the Fairview (Jemeteiy Associa-
tion, and was elected a member of the School Board in 1866, continuing in this
office for a period of seven years. He was also a Notary Public and did an ex-
tensive business in life and fire insurance. He was a member of the Episcopal
Church.
Mr. Hammersly was married to Miss Annie M. Welty of Gettysburg and from
this union issued the following children : Dr. William Hammersly of Phila-
delphia; Miss Alice, a trained nurse; and Miss Annie, who at the time of his
death, lived at home.
OSCAR J. STINE. Oscar J. Stine, Es(i., was graduated from Muhlenberg
College in June, 1882, and three years later received the degree of M. A.
Mr. Stine read law with E. H. Stine, Esq., at Allentown, Pa., and was ad-
mitted to the Lehigh County Bar, June 7, 1886.
He practiced law with David R. Home, Es(i., then located at Wichita,
Kansas, for one year.
He returned to Lehigh County in the fall of 1887 and became the junior
member of the law firm of Stine and Stine, the senior member being E. H.
Stine, Esq.
In 1900 Mr. Stine came to Catasauqua and entered the employ of Stine and
Kramlich, the wholesale liquor dealers, whose successor he has become.
ALEXANDER N. ULRICH. The patriarch of this branch of the Ulrich
family in this country was a native of Alsace, France, and emigrated to America
in 1708. He settled at Annville, Lebanon County, Pa. A grandson of this
pioneer was a prominent lawyer of Lebanon County, and, during the Revolution-
ary War, served as adjutant of a Pennsylvania regiment.
The grandfather of our subject, the Rev. Daniel Ulrich, D. D., was a prom-
inent Lutheran clergyman who served the Ulrich 's Church of Lebanon County as
pastor for many years. His son, Daniel Ulrich, was a man of fine qualities.
After graduation from Princeton he went to Jefferson Medical College, Phila-
258 THE HTSTOEY
delphia, Pa. Having received his degree as a doctor, he opened an office in
Reading, Pa. He was an able physician and above all a clean and courteous
gentleman, which developed for him a tremendous practice not only in the city
but also in the country surrounding Reading.
The mother of our subject was of Scottish origin. She was born in Fairfax
County, Virginia, and was a daughter of Alexander Nesbitt, a native of Penn-
sylvania, a graduate of Dickinson College and a successful lawyer of the Old
Dominion. Her grandfather, Charles Nesbitt, was Provost of the University of
Edinburg, Scotland, and is reputed to have been the most learned Greek scholar
of all Europe in his day. When Dickinson College was founded, Charles Nesbitt
was urged to become its first President. He accepted the proffer, and his fame
assured the success of the institution.
Charles N. Ulrieh, the son of Dr. Daniel Ulrich and Henrietta, nee Nesbitt,
was born at Gettysburg, Pa., February 10, 1853. He was educated in Reading.
After graduation from the High School he was sent to some school in New
England. In 1871 he came to Catasauqua, where he became a teacher in the
public schools. In 1873 he was elected principal of the schools, which office he
held for six yeiars.
He devoted much of his spare time to the study of law so that by 1885 he was
admitted to the Bar at Allentown. From that time until his death he devoted
himself entirely to his chosen profession. He was elected Justice of the Peace on
the Republican ticket in 1883 and re-elected in 1888 and 1893. He was a member
of the Lehigh County Bar Association. Miss Irene Fuller became his bride
July 11, 1878. He departed this life December 29, 1910. His wife preceded him
in death.
Charles F. Ulrieh, the only child of this union, was educated in the Cata-
sauqua schools, and Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., from which institution he was
graduated in June, 1905. He studied law at different places and was finally
admitted to the Lehigh County Bar in 1908. He fell heir to the beautiful and
commodious law offices of his father on Bridge Street, and enjoys the advantages
of a remarkably well chosen library.
AUSTIN A. GLICK, ESQ., is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Glick,
OP CATASAUQUA
259
who owned and cultivated a fine farm in the vicinage of Howertown, Northamp-
ton County, Pa. Ijater they moved to Catasauqua and took up their residence on
Front Street, now the home of Thomas B. Glick, a brother to the subject of this
sketch. Mr. Glick was graduated from the Catasauqua High School in the spring
of 1876. After a course of preparation, he entered Muhlenberg College from
which he was graduated in June, 1882.
He read law with John Rupp, Esq., and was admitted to the Lehigh County
Bar on March 3, 1886. He immediately opened his office in the old building
of the National Bank of Catasauqua, on Front Street, and later he moved into
the P. 0. S. of A. building on Bridge Street. Besides the general practice of
law, Mr. Glick was Borough solicitor from 1893 to 1895 inclusive, and is Secre-
tary of the Board of Health since its organization.
He is also engaged in the fire insurance business. His genial and encourag-
ing helpmate is a daughter of the late Jacob Roberts and his wife, a Miss Relyea.
WILLIAM H. SCHNBLLER. William H. Schneller graduated from the
Catasauqua High School in 1898, and for a period of three years thereafter was
engaged in the laundry business with the Empire Steam Laundry of Catasauqua,
Pa. In September, 1901, he entered the Sophomore Class at Schuylkill Seminary,
Reading, Pa., taking up the Classical Course and graduated and received an
A. B. degree in 1905. In October of 1905 he entered the
Law Department of the University of Pennsylvania
and graduated and received his L. L. B. degree there-
from in June, 1908. Mr. Schneller registered as a Stu-
dent-at-Law with the Honorable James L. Schaadt, of
Allentown, Pa., and on motion of the Honorable James
L. Schaadt on March 15th, 1909, he was admitted by
the Honorable Frank M. Trexler, President Judge, to
practice in the several Courts of Lehigh County. On
the 18th day of October, 1909, on motion of E. J. Fox,
WILLIAM H. SCHNELLER Esquire, of Baston, Pa., he was admitted by the Honor-
able Henry J. Scott, President Judge, to practice in the
several Courts of Northampton County. On April 1st, 1909, he opened his law
260 THE HISTORY
office in The Lehigh National Bank Building, Catasauqua, Pa., and has continued
there ever since. On March 18th, 1912, on motion of Ulysses S. Koons, of
Philadelphia, he was admitted by the Honorable D. Newlin Fell, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, to practice as an Attorney and Counsellor
of the said Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. On the 15th day of March, 1909,
immediately after his admission, he tried his first case in the Lehigh County
court, at Allentown, Pa., and a month thereafter tried his first case in the
United States District Court at Philadelphia; and has been actively engaged in
the general practice of law in the various District and Appellate Courts of
Pennsylvania and of the United States continuously since. At present he is the
solicitor for the North Catasauqua School District, of the Recorder of Deeds of
Lehigh County, and of the Lehigh National Bank of Catasauqua, as well as of var-
ious other corporations and business firms.
KOONS AND SON. Abraham P. Koons was born at Berlinsville, Pa.,
August, 1863. When but eight years of age he was left an orphan and as such
enjoyed the most meager schooling possible. He had a good mind which, coupled
with a willingness to serve, soon brought him into demand for clerkship in
country stores.
When a young man, he drifted into Coplay where he managed a general store
for Levi Haas, then Superintendent of the Coplay furnaces. In 1856 he came to
(/atasauqua and entered into a partnership with Clinton Breinig at the corner
of Front and Race Streets, later the property of Owen Romig and now in the
hands of August Hohl.
After the Civil War this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Koons estab-
lished his business at Front and Mulberry Streets, now the Heckenberger Drug
store. Here he took up insurance and the real estate business. In 1868 he quit
the mercantile business. In February, 1875, he was elected Justice of the Peace
for the Borough of Catasauqua, to which office he was elected for five consecutive
terms, and in which he served with an enviable record until his death, February
15, 1898.
Edwin C. Koons was educated in the Catasauqua schools and made good
OP CATASAUQUA 261
use of his time and opportunities. When a young man, he learned the machinist
trade at the Davies and Thomas foundry, where he served for seven years. After a
service of two years at the old Bryden Horse Shoe plant, he entered his father's
office as clerk. Upon the death of his father, Governor Hastings appointed him
Justice of the Peace, February 25, 1898, to fill the unexpired term. His com-
mission ran out May 1, 1899. Since then he has been elected to his office for
three consecutive terms, which bespeaks the value of his services and the esteem
in which he is held by his fellow citizens. His commission runs out December 31,
1915. Mr. Koons possesses an exceptionally large and well chosen law library
for the office of a justice. Most of this was the accumulation of his father.
THOMAS QUINN. The subject of this sketch is a native of Ireland, who
was brought to America by his parents when he was but a tender infant. They
located at Laubachsville, now the borough of Northampton. After he had at-
tained to young manhood and finished the course of studies prescribed for a
country school district, he was sent to the Pierce Business College in Philadelphia.
With his diploma under his arm, he returned to Laubachsville in order to enter
into partnership with the Associate Judge Joseph Laubach. While the Judge
presided over the Northampton County Courts at Easton, Mr. Quinn ran the
Laubach general store.
In 1879 he came to Catasauqua where he opened a general store at the
corner of Front and Walnut Streets. After enjoying a fine trade for twenty
years, Mr. Quinn retired and located at 1124 Second Street. Since that time he
was elected Justice of the Peace of the Borough of North Catasauqua for three
successive terms. This is a fine compliment to a worthy man. Mr. Quinn en-
listed from Northampton in Company B of the 153rd Regiment of the Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers. He was wounded at Chancellorsville and taken prisoner. For
six weeks he lay in Libby Prison, until an exchange of prisoners was made. He
immediately rejoined his regiment but was wounded again in the battle of
Gettysburg.
262
THE HISTORY
CORNELIUS F. ROTH, ESQ., was born at the Iron .Bridge, Lehigh
County, Pa., March 13, 1856, and is the
son of Owen T. and Peyetta (Minnich)
Roth. He came to Catasauqua in 1864
and learnt the art of photography from
G. D. Lentz. Hi? former wife to whom
he was married February 7, 1878, was
Miss Josephine Minnich of Walnutport,
Pa. Their only surviving daughter is
Matilda Feyetta Roth. Mrs. Roth hav-
ing died December 18, 1893, Mr. Roth
entered into matrimony with Cora E.
Drumheller of Conyngham, Pa., Feb-
ruary 28, 1901.
He was elected Justice of the
Peace in 1906 and opened his office in
his photograph parlors on Bridge Street,
appreciation of his good judgment and sense of equity by re-electing him to his
office in 1912.
CORNELIUS F. ROTH
The community expressed its
OP CATASAUQUA 263
CHAPTER X.— BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
BIERY. The farm land now covered by the lower portion of the town was
the property of Frederick Biery at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The
Crane Company purchased the site of the furnaces from him. He had five sons :
Daniel, Jonas, Solomon, David and William ; and three daughters, Mrs. Nicholas
Snyder, Mrs. Samuel Koehler, and Mrs. Jacob Buehler. Three fine, two-story,
cut-stone dwellings erected by him in 1826, 1830 and 1835, respectively, still
stand on Eace Street and are in a remarkably good state of preservation. Fred-
erick Biery died in 1845.
SOLOMON BIERY converted the dwelling erected in 1826 into an Inn
aind was its noble proprietor for many years. He served as post master
of the Burg from 1855 to 1861, and had a valuable interest in the firm of
Frederick and Company, carbuilders at Fullerton. His wife was Mary Magda-
lene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George and Hannah (nee Haas) Frederick. She
was born January 17, 1811, and died at the age of eighty-two years, August 29,
1893. Solomon and Magdalene Biery were the parents of Catharine, wife of the
late Charles F. Beck, father of our townsmen, Frank C. and George Beck. Solo-
mon Biery was born August 17, 1808, and died January 20, 1874. His mother's
maiden name was Salome Knauss.
JONAS BIERY was a thrifty farmer and lived in the old farmhouse on
Race Street, east of Front, now the possession of August Hohl. He owned all the
land now covered by the Third Ward and the Howertown Avenue section of the
First Ward. Lime stone was quarried on his farm for the furnaces, and al-
though his royalty was but three cents per ton it netted him over $40,000. He
was born January 28, 1804. April 8, 1827, he was married to Salome Kiechel.
He died November 28, 1874.
DANIEL BIERY tilled his farm near Weaversville, now owned by Peter
264 THE HISTORY
J. Laubach, for many years. David Biery owned a farm near Mickley's and
William Biery died while young.
FAUST. Although there were two brothers, Bastian and John Faust, who,
with their families, and upon invitation of William Penn, came from the Palati-
nate early in the eighteenth century and settled in Albany Township, Berks
County, Pa. It is surmised that Henry was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bastian
Faust. This son, Henry, who was the great-grandfather of Paul Faust, pur-
chased the farm of 1931/2 acres of Robert Gibson. He died April 14, 1795.
His son, John Philip Faust, one of eight children, gained possession of the
homestead and erected the beautiful stone mansion razed but a few years ago
by the Bryden Horse Shoe Company in order to make room for the extension
of their works.
After John's death, about 1831, his son, Jonas Faust, who was one of four
surviving children, took the farm at the appraisement of $55 per acre. Jonas
Faust was married to Susannah Paul with whom he reared seven children : Paul,
of Catasauqua ; Joseph, of South Whitehall ; Reuben, of Catasauqua ; David, pres-
ident of the Union National Bank of Philadelphia ; William, of AUentown ; Eliza-
beth (Mrs. Laub of Kreidersville) ; and Maria (Mrs. Koch of AUentown). The
picture inserted in Chapter XII shows the house and the brothers and sisters at an
Old Home gathering some time during the seventies.
Upon the death of Jonas Faust, in the fall of 1833, his son Paul took the
farm at the appraisement of $50 per acre, January 24, 1834. His grandfather,
John, bought five acres of land from George (Yarrick) Rockel, being the ground
now bounded by Third Street on the West, Howertown Avenue on the East, Pine
Street on the South and Walnut Street on the North; and he sold eleven acres
along the river-front to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. It was
necessary for Paul to make himself responsible for three dowers, viz., to his
great-grandmother, Catharine, who still lived and occupied a small house at
the lower spring, now the site of the F. W. Wint and Company planing mill; to
his grandmother, Barbara, who died October 4, 1842, at the residence of her
daughter, the stone house at the Northampton (Stemton) entrance to the bridge
across the Lehigh; and to his mother Susannah, who by a second marriage be-
OP CATASAUQUA 265
came Mrs. Henry Breisch and lived at Third and Bridge Streets on an eleven
acre farm, purchased from a Mr. Gross.
For a man only twenty-four years of age, and at a time when there was a
stringency in the money market, to undertake such a proposition was no small
matter. Mr. Faust however was a large-hearted, kind, and, at the same time,
a fearless man. He was a man of strong physical and mental characteristics.
And, although designing and unscrupulous men often imposed upon him, he
managed to pay oif all his debts and hold a property valued at the close of
the War at $75,000. In 1860 he began to sell building lots, the first of which
went to the Catholic Church at Second and Chapel Streets.
Mr. Faust was born September 30, 1809. He married Amelia, daughter of
George and Polly (nee Wetzell) Breinig, January 6, 1835, and died November
12, 1883, aged 74 years. His wife, Amelia, was born in Long Swamp Township,
Berks County, Pa., September 7, 1816, and died March 14, 1894, at the age of
77 years. There were five children: Amy (Mrs. Borger) of Peru 111.; Walter;
Jane (Mrs. Koehler) of Easton; M. Alice; and Clara B. (Mrs. Nicholas).
BREINIG. The remotest ancestor of George Breinig is traced to Long-
swamp Township, Berks County, Pa. The great-grandfather of George was a
member of the building committee that erected the original Lehigh Church, near
Alburtis, Pa., during 1745. His father's name was George; and his mother's,
Elizabeth, a born Egner. During his youth he was sent to school in
the "Irish Settlement," now the defunct Weaversville Academy, and on his
way to and fro he passed the beautiful farm irrigated by the Catasauqua Creek.
Some years later he purchased this fertile farm of two hundred forty-five acres,
in Allen Township, from the estate of Peter Beisel, and took possession of it
in 1832. His wife was a Miss Maria Wetsel. Their son Simon Breinig, who
was born at Mertztown, Pa., October 29, 1827, married Elizabeth Catharine,
daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth, nee Bhret, Dech, February 13, 1862, and
succeeded his father on the farm. George Breinig died June 2, 1871, at the
age of eighty years. He served as a member of the Building Committee of
St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He was a strong, intelligent and self-reliant man.
His son Simon farmed the old place for many years. After his son Joseph en-
266 THE HISTORY
tered into matrimony, Simon retired, leaving the farm in his son's care. Simon
Breinig died January 7, 1906, seventy-eight years of age.
JOHN GEORGE KURTZ. The pioneer of the Kurtz family in this section
was John George Kurtz. He settled in Hanover Township on the east bank of
the Catasauqua Creek, in 1760. The wooded expanse of country extending to
and far beyond Schoenersville was styled "Dry -lands" since this whole territory
has no springs or rills, and during drought seasons of the year cattle had to be
driven to the Lehigh River for water. After Mr. Kurtz had erected his house
(now the stone house near the Rubber Works), he brought his family from the
Fatherland. In 1839 the large farm was divided into two sections. One son,
Henry, took the western ; another, George, the eastern portion. For many years
these gentlemen refused to sell land for building lots, which shows why the
Third "Ward extends off toward the east, like a thumb on a hand (the fingers
being Catasauqua proper). While negotiations were going on for the purchase
of the plot of ground on which St. Paul's Lutheran Church now stands, Lydia,
the wife of Henry Kurtz, threatened to scald with boiling water the gentlemen
who came to bargain for the same.
JACOB DEILY wooed and won Miss Mary Geissinger, daughter of George
and Christian (nee Hartman) Geissinger of Upper Saucon, Lehigh County, Pa.,
and was married March 17, 1813. Mr. Deily was born September 15, 1789, and
his wife, October 9, 1794. The newly married couple began housekeeping on
Lehigh Hill, Allentown, where Mr. Deily worked as a cobbler. Mrs. Deily 's
father bought the George Taylor farm from John Beisel, June 13, 1821 ; after
which Mr. and Mrs. Deily moved to the farm with their family. George Taylor
was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and very probably
built the stone farm house still standing above the southeastern corner of the
Wahnetah Silk Mill. The farm consisted of one hundred fifty acres of land
which was very productive and soon placed Mr. Deily upon his feet. The chil-
dren whom they brought to maturity were: George-; Sarah, Mrs. Rudolph Kent,
of Philadelphia; Eliza, Mrs. Daniel Levan, of Siegfrieds; Maria, Mrs. Samuel
Colver, of Allentown ; Francis J. ; Matilda, Mrs. Robert Jaeger of Allentown ;
Solomon; and Clara, Mrs. Edward Brown, of Bethlehem, Pa. David Thomas
OP catasauqua 267
and his family ate their first dinner at Catasauqua at the guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Jacob Deily. Mr. Deily died May 14, 1881, at the age of ninety-one years ; and
his wife died March 26, 1883, at the age of eighty-eight years.
GEORGE DEILY was born in AUentown, September 2, 1815, and worked
on the farm for his father for fifteen years after he had reached his majority.
In 1851 his father, Jacob Deily, "set him up in business" as merchant in a
general store in the beautifully cut stone building now owned by George B. F.
Deily on Race Street at the Canal Bridge. His predecessors were James Lackey
and Joseph Laubach. The Deily store was a popular trading place and its
shrewd proprietor rapidly accumulated wealth. The freshet of 1862 filled the
first floor of the building with water to within but a few inches of the ceiling,
and destroyed the whole stock. Mr. Deily disposed of his stock and converted
the store room into the parlor of his home, and devoted all his time to overseeing
his farms lying east of Catasauqua. At the time of his death he owned five
large farms. He entered into matrimony with Elizabeth, daughter of Gen. Ben-
jamin Fogel and his wife Anna (nee Trexler) of Fogelsville, June 2, 1857,
Their children are: Mary C, who was born July 14, 1858, and since July 3,
1889, is the wife of Peter J. Laubach, who is her senior by six months from
January 20 of the year of her birth; and George B. F., who was born August
14, 1865. George Deily died at the age of eighty-seven years, November 17,
1902, and his widow died at the age of seventy-three years, October 4, 1831.
FRANCIS J. DEILY was born July 31, 1824. Like his brothers, he worked
on the farm, and after his father 's decease bought it March 17, 1884. His brother,
Solomon, who remained a bachelor all his life, stayed with Francis and his family
and worked on the farm. Later Solomon became a drover; and Francis and
he butchered and peddled meat in and around Catasauqua. Thus the brothers
accumulated considerable property.
Francis was married to Sarah A., daughter of Rudolph and Salome (nee
Best) Dech of the vicinage of Bath, Pa., October 19, 1858. Their only child
was Camilla E., who was born in the old Taylor house, September 5, 1863. She
became the wife of Dr. Charles E. Milson, October 21, 1884, and became the
mother of four daughters : Gertrude A., Helen C, Ruth D., and Marie.
268 . THE HISTORY
Mr. Deily built the beautiful brick home opposite the old farm house and
retired early in the seventies. Here he died October 9, 1897, at the age of sev-
enty-seven years.
JOHN PETER. John Peter came from Heidelberg where he was born in
1799. His house stood in the Crane yards at a point west of the Express office.
He purchased his farm from Andrew Hower, the heirs of John Philip Faust,
and others, and took possession of the same in 1823. His original dwelling was
erected by John Youndt. Later he erected a stone mansion on Front Street
above Walnut, now a part of the stables of F. "W. Wint and Company. He de-
voted nine years to weaving. After the canal was completed he served the
Company as lock-tender for some years. That portion of his farm which had
not been acquired by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company or sold into
building lots he sold to David Thomas in 1851. He lived in Bethlehem until
the death of his wife, when he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Owen
Swartz, at Allentown, where he died at an advanced age. Their children were:
Franklin, Joseph, Susannah, and Mersena.
JONATHAN SNYDER. Another contemporary of the originals of Cata-
sauqua was Jonathan Snyder, who came from Schoenersville, Pa. Mr. Snyder
was a bright man and an exceptionally fine penman. He was given charge of the
locks opposite the Crane Iron Works in 1839, and commissioned to collect all
tolls for this section of the canal. When the town became a Borough, he was
elected and served as assessor for many years. His only survivors are his grand-
children, the members of the Williams family at Second and Bridge Streets.
DAVID THOMAS. He whom a grateful people delight to call the Father
of Catasauqua is David Thomas. "Father Thomas" was a pioneer in founding
many institutions in our town. He was brought to this country to make iron
with anthracite ("Stone-coal") coal; and although not the first in this country
to use this material in the manufacture of iron, he was the first to make a suc-
cessful use of it in a commercial way, wherefore he is afifectionately styled the
"Father of the American Anthracite Iron Industry." His mind and soul were
not entirely absorbed in and welded into pigs of iron, but he enjoyed a broad
OF OATASAUQUA
269
and lofty outlook into divine and eternal things. Simultaneously with the
furnaces, came the erection of a church (House of prayer) under his direction.
Through the furnaces his men merited bread for the ))ody and through the
Church the Father of Lights gave Bread and all good gifts to His l)elieving
people. Father Thomas began the erection of homes for working people. He
laid the first water mains that served a municipality with a necessary commodity.
He erected the first public time piece, the sun-dial. His pen draughted many
DAVID THOMAS
ordinances for Borough regulation and legislation, which are still potent.
"Father Thomas" was the only son of his parents, David and Jane Thomas
of Tyllwyd (Gray House), in the parish of Cadoxtan, Glamorganshire, South
Wales, and was born November 3, 1794. "When he was a youth of seventeen
270 THE HISTORY
siimmers, he found employment in the machine shop of the Neath Abbey Iron
Works Six years later, 1817, Richard Parsons, the owner of the Tniscedwyn
Iron Works, invited young Thomas to the superintendency of his works, in-
eluding also the coal and iron mines. He held this position for twenty-two
years.
Efforts were made in America to manufacture iron with anthracite coal in
a number of places, but success had not thus far crowned the work. Mr. Thomas
experimented with hot blast stoves invented by James Neilson, in 1828, at the
Yniscedwyn furnace. He obtained plans and a license from Mr. Neilson to
erect hot blast ovens by means of which, February 7, 1838, he declared the
problem of the production of iron with hard coal practically solved. The
Yniscedwyn furnace produced from thirty-four to thirty-six tons a week.
News of this success soon reached America, where able and enterprising
men stood ready to utilize this valuable discovery. The Lehigh Coal and Navi-
gation Company promptly arranged to send its representative, Erskine Hazard,
to Wales, where he arrived, November, 1838, to investigate and study the opera-
tion of the new hot blast. After satisfying himself that Mr. Thomas had solved
the important problem, Mr. Hazard entered into an agreement with him on be-
half of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company to come to America and to erect and to
operate blast furnaces, suitable for anthracite coal, on the Lehigh River.
Eai'ly in May the young iron master with his family consisting of his wife,
Elizabeth, nee Hopkins, three sons — Samuel, John, and David, Jr., and two
daughters — Jane and Gwenllian (the latter, the wife of Joshua Hunt) set sail
from Swansea bound for Liverpool, where they embarked on the clipper ship
"Roseuis" for America. They arrived at Allentown, July 9, 1839. On July
11, with his son Samuel, he came on foot to Craneville (Catasauqua) then a
primeval forest. By July 3, 1840, the first furnace was completed and in blast.
The Crane Iron Company erected a home for him on Front Street directly oppo-
site the furnaces. Mr. Thomas occupied this dwelling with his family until 1856,
when he moved into his new home erected by him on Second and Pine Streets.
The influence of Mr. Thomas as an iron master extended far and wide. He
was a promoter of the large iron works at Hokendauqua. He bore a large share
OF CATASAUQUA 271
of the enterprise that opened railroads, ore and coal mines, and stone quarries.
He took a great interest in the political, financial, religious, and charitable insti-
tutions of the town. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church
and an ardent supporter of the local Total Abstinence Society. He died June
20, 1882, in the eighty-eighth year of his age, and his body rests in the Thomas
vault in Fairview Cemetery.
SAMUEL THOMAS. Inspired by the example of a noble father, the
"Father of the Anthracite Iron Industry in America," Samuel Thomas never
departed from the sphere of an iron merchant. Altho^^gh engaged in many and
various enterprises he devoted most of his time and strength to the welfare of
the Thomas Iron Company.
Samuel Thomas, son of David and Elizabeth (nee Hopkins) Thomas was
born in Yniscedwyn, Brecknockshire, South Wales, March 13, 1827 ; and at the
age of thirteen years his parents brought him to this country. He had studied
English in Wales, and when the family was settled in Catasauqua, he was sent
to school for two years at Nazareth Hall, Nazareth, Pa. Upon his return from
school he entered the blacksmith and machine shops of the Crane Iron Works
and learnt his trade. At the age of but nineteen years, he already took an active
part in the management of the works. In 1848- he superintended the erection
of a furnace for the Boonton Iron Company in Morristown, N. J. By October
of that year the furnace was in blast. At the close of the year he returned to
erect furnaces No. 4 and 5 at home. When the Thomas Iron Company M-as
chartered during the winter of 1853 and 1854, and two hundred acres of land
purchased at Hokendauqua for the erection of furnaces, Mr. Thomas was ap-
pointed superintendent, March 1, 1854. He erected two furnaces forthwith, and
served the Company as superintendent for ten years. He was chosen a director
of the Company and elected its president August 31, 1864. He organized the
Lock Ridge Iron Company at Alburtis, Pa., and erected the first furnace in
1867. In company with his father he visited a section now known as Thomas
in Alabama, in May, 1868, for the purpose of exploiting. In August of this
year he went again and purchased large tracts of mineral lands. Mr. Thomas
resigned the presidency of the Thomas Iron Company September 22, 1887, in
272
THE HISTORY
order to devote himself to' the erection of an iron plant in the South. His long
cherished desire was brought to a successful issue under the management of his
son Edwin as vice-president. The first furnace was built at Thomas, near
SAMUEL THOMAS
Birmingham, Alabama, under the name of the Pioneer Mining and Manufac-
turing Company. There were two furnaces, coke ovens, and coal and iron mines.
The property was sold in 1899 to the Republic Iron and Steel Company.
Mr. Thomas was a keen student, a close observer and an able writer. His
masterpiece was written on "Reminiscences of the Early Anthracite Iron In-
OP CATASAUQUA 273
dustry" and read by him before the American Institute of Mining Engineers
at the California meeting in September, 1899. Like his father, Mr. Thomas
took an active and effective interest in community affairs in Hokendauqua as
well as in CatasaiKjua. He contributed liberally toward the erection of the
Soldiers' Monument in Fairview Cemetery, made from designs approved by him,
in memory of the brave men from Catasauqua and environs, who fought for
the preservation of the Union, and this was the iirst erected soldiers' monument
after the Civil War. Although he took a live interest in political affairs and
voted with the Republican party, he never aspired for office. For many years
he was an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church which he supported with a
liberal hand. Mr. Thomas found his pleasing recreation in travel. He visited
the scenes of his childhood on various occasions. A study of the architectural
ruins of Syria and Egypt impressed him most profoundly.
He wedded Miss Rebecca Mickley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Mickley
of Mickley 's. Pa., in March, 1848. To this union two children -were born: Ger-
trude, wife of Dr. Joseph C. Guernsey of Philadelphia, and Edwin of Catasau-
(jua. Mrs. Thomas departed this life in the
fall of 1891. In the spring of 1894 Mr.
Thomas married Miss Julia M. Beerstecher, a
native of Neuveville, Switzerland. He died
February 21, 1906, and his remains rest in
the Thomas vault in Fairview Cemetery.
EDWIX THOMAS. Edwin Thomas,
grandson of David, was born in Catasauqua
April 9, 1853. He attended the public schools
of town, prepared for college at Swarthmore,
and entered Lafayette College with the class
of 1873.
Upon leaving college he entered the em-
ploy of the Thomas Iron Company at Hoken-
dauqua as machinist. After a service of three
years he was placed in charge of the Com-
■^ ^ ^ EDWIN THOMAS
pany's plant at Lock Ridge, Pa., as superin-
274
THE HISTORY
tendent. He retained this position for three years, when he accepted the super-
intendeney of the furnaces of the Chestnut Hill Iron Ore Company, at Columbia,
Pa. After two years he returned to the Hokendauqua plant of the Thomas Iron
Company to serve for four years as purchasing agent and manager of the
mechanical department.
In the Spring of 1886, he went South when the industrial spirit was just
awakening, to assist the President of the Pioneer Mining and Manufacturing
Company at Thomas, Ala., to design and to erect the plant. He served this
company as President from 1892 to 1899, when the plant was sold. Under the
new ownership he served as manager for one year, when he resigned and returned
to Catasauqua.
Mr. Thomas is President of the Catasauqua National Bank; the Nescopec
Coal Company; Director of the Upper Lehigh Coal Company; the Wahnetah
Silk Company; the Thomas Iron Company; and a number of other industrial
enterprises. He takes an active part in all municipal affairs and aids with a
liberal hand any and every movement that tends to develop the Borough.
WILLIAM R. THOMAS. William R. Thomas, son of Hopkin Thomas, was
born in Glamorganshire, Wales, May 30, 1829, and is at this writing one of the
oldest residents and one of the finest mechanics in Catasauqua. When a boj^
his parents came to America and located for
a time in Philadelphia. Afterward they
moved to Beaver Meadows, where William R.
received his education in the district schools.
When he was sixteen years of age, he learned
the machinist's trade in the shops located
there. He remained at home until he was
twenty years of age, when, having a strong
desire to perfect himself in his line of work,
he went to New York City where he received
special instruction in the navy yards. After
working here for two years, he went to La
Salle County, 111., and then to Amboy, where
wiLUAM R. THOMAS ^^ engaged as an engineer on the Illinois
Central Railroad, his run being between that city and Centralia.
OP CATASAUQUA 275
On account of failing health, Mr. Thomas returned east and joined his
family, who had in the meantime moved to Catasauqua, Pa. After he re-
gained his health, he entered the employ of the Crane Iron Co. as master me-
chanic, remaining with them until 1868, when he became a partner in the McKee,
Fuller Company. He was superintendent of the plant for two years, when he
became connected with the Coleraine Iron Works in the erection of furnaces,
managing their workshop until 1875. From this time until March, 1887, he was
in the South, building furnaces and superintending mines in Georgia and
Alabama, was superintendent of the Coleraine Iron Co., and later of the Thomas
Iron Co., with whom he remained for seven years. He was superintendent of
the Crane Iron "Works from 1887 to 1891, when in company with A. and C. H.
Fuller, he started the Globe Metal Works, remaining with them for one year.
Since that time he has been connected with the Davies and Thomas Company.
William R. Thomas was united in marriage in Janesville, Pa., in 1856, to
Miss Martha Mayhew, a native of England. Nine children were born to them
as follows: Frank H. (deceased) ; James J., who lives at home; Kate (Thomas)
Agthe (deceased); John W., of Littlestown, Pa.; Helen, who also
resides at home; William R., Jr., of Catasauqua; Ira (Thomas) Hawkins of
Kingston, Pa.; Mary (Thomas) Corsa of Amherst, Mass.; and Fritz W., of
Chester, Pa.
Mr. Thomas is a Free and Accepted Mason, a Royal Arch Mason and Knight
Templar. Politically he is a Republican, and, although he does not take any
active interest in political affairs, he maintains a deep interest in everything
which promotes the best interests of the municipality. Mr. Thomas has a large
circle of acquaintances whose friendship he has won through his integrity and
genial social characteristics.
JAMES THOMAS. James Thomas was born in Philadelphia, September
22, 1836, and was the youngest son of Hopkin Thomas and his wife Catherine
(Richards) Thomas, both of South Wales. In 1853 he came with his parents to
Catasauqua from Philadelphia. He went to Parryville in 1859 to take the super-
intendency of the Carbon Iron Works. In 1871 Mr. Thomas left Parryville and
276
THE HISTORY
JAMES THOMAS
went to Jefferson County, Alahaiua, and while
there hecatne the general manager of the Iron-
dale and Eureka Iron Company. He enjoys
the distinction of having made the first coke
iron in Alabama. In 1879 he returned to
I Catasau(iua and formed a partnership with
George Davies, under the name of Davies and
Thomas, which continued until the death of
I
George Davies in 1894. The following year
the heirs of George Davies and the surviving
member of the firm, James Thomas, took out
articles of incorporation under the laws of
j the State of Pennsylvania with the corporate
I name of Davies and Thomas Company.
With every enterprise calculated to pro-
mote the prosperity of Catasauipia, Mr.
Thomas was prominently identified and re-
ceived the heartiest support. Through his efforts the Borough secured the Elec-
tric Light and Power Company of which he was one of the principal owners. He
was president of the Walinetah Silk Company and a director of the Catasauqua
National Bank. Tliougli he took no active part in politics, he was frequently
choseii to occupy positions of trust and responsibility, and represented the
Republican Party as delegate to the National Convention in Minneapolis in 1892.
For si.x; years he was a mend)er of the School Board, taking an active interest
in the welfare of our schools.
]Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Mary Ann Davies, June 11, 1861. They
ai-e the parents of the following children: Blanche T., wife of Charles R. Horn;
Mary C. Thomas (deceased) ; Rowland D. Thomas; Mrs. Ruth (Thomas) McKee;
Helen T., wife of Dr. James L. Hornl)eck ; Catherine R. Thomas (deceased);
Hopkin Thomas.
In religious belief, Mr. Thomas was a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal
Churcli and was in.strumental in securing the erection of the edifice adorning the
corner of Fifth and Walnut Streets. Mr. Thomas was one of the best informed
OP CATASAUQUA 277
men, reading broadly upon all matters of general interest and carrying his in-
vestigations into the best of literature. He was public-spirited, which, together
with his high social standing and courteous manners, made him a very popular
and honored citizen.
FREDERICK. George Frederick, the first, lived in lower Saucon Town-
ship, Northampton County, Pa. His wife was Magdalena Ebert. Their son
George, the second, was born September 26, 1788. On July 29, 1810, he was
married to Hannah Haas with whom he reared seven children : Mary Magdalena,
wife of Solomon Biery ; George ; Nathan, who died at AUentiOwn ; Thomas ; Owen,
the undertaker; Hannah, Mrs. Robert Steckle, who is still living at Allentown;
and Pauline, Mrs. Owen Diefenderfer, who died at FuUerton.
George Frederick moved to Catasauqua with his family in 1828, and occupied
the newly acquired farm, and the stone house that stood on the West Side, below
the Hercules Metal Works, close by the L. V. R. R. tracks. Mr. Frederick was a
man of some literary ability, and gifted with sound sense and a good judgment.
He was elected Justice of the Peace for North and South Whitehall Township,
May 21, 1834. In October, 1836, he was elected a member of the House of Rep-
resentatives of the State of Pennsylvania. Upon his return from the Legislature
he retired from the farm and moved to Biery 's-Port, now Front Street, below
Union, and his son George took charge of the farm. From 1853 to 1855 and from
1858 to 1863 he served as Justice of the Peace in town. He died January 20,
1871. His wife, Hannah, died March 8, 1853, and hers was the first grave dug
in the grave-yard at St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church. The old grave-yard has
long since been converted into a beautiful lawn.
His son Owen, born January 27, 1822, was educated in the district schools ;
and, in 1839, he went to Easton to learn the trade of a cabinet and coffin maker.
After having served his full time of four years, he went to New York City where
he spent five years working at his trade. While in New York he met and married
Miss Jeanette Bogardus, July 29, 1847. In 1847 he moved to Catasauqua and
occupied the house still standing in the rear of the establishment of Frederick
and Scherer, the Undertakers, and began the business which the present firm is
carrying on successfully. Mr. Frederick was funeral director at a time during
278
THE HISTORY
which there came a rapid transition from quaint old customs to many new
fashions. He was the first undertaker in this community to use a hearse. In
his day bodies were preserved until funeral day by means of an ice-box as is
described in the chapter of Eeminiscences. Besides conducting the undertaking
business, Mr. Frederick also established the furniture business, which in those
days meant cabinet making. Hand made bed-steads, bureaus, chairs, grand-
father clock cases, etc., beautifully inlaid, gracefully designed and substantially
built, are scarce articles today because everybody wants them and is willing to
pay fabulous prices for them.
Owen Frederick' died February 11, 1878, at the age of fifty-six years, and
left his bereaved widow with the following children: George, Mary Alice, Mrs.
Henry A. Steward (who succeeded her father in business) ; Ogden E., who with
William H. Scherer succeeded Mr. Steward ; and Hannah L.
George Frederick is father of three children: Mary (Mrs. Gardner), Floyd
and Ealph. Mary Alice Steward has a son, Frederick A., and a daughter, Mrs.
Emma J. Davis.
Ogden E. Frederick was born June 21, 1852. After his school days he
worked with his father at the trade. In 1878 he was placed in charge of Fuller's
book store, which he ran for seven years. Since Henry A. Steward's death, he is
the senior partner in the firm of Frederick and Scherer.
Mr. Frederick married Miss Clara C. Fuller, February 2, 1875. Their
daughter, Tillie C, is the wife of Dr. Wesley Willoughby.
T. F. FREDERICK. While memory lingers upon a character like Tilgh-
man F. Frederick, one is constrained to say: He sought not his own glory and
yet was ceaselessly active for the delights and comforts of his home, the pros-
perity of his community and the upbuilding and maintenance of his Church.
Mr. Frederick was born in the old farm house below the Hercules Metal
Works on the West Side, January 29, 1849. His parents were George Frederick
and his wife Elizabeth, a born Reichard. Father and Mothc: having died while
he was a lad, Tilghman was reared by his uncle and aunt, Mr. and ilrs. Solomon
Biery. The district school provided him with his education, which Jie greatly
prized and on account of which he was a staunch advocate of the system of
OP CATASAUQUA
279
public instruc'tiou. In 1862 and '6'A lie acted as druiiiiiier iii the 176tli Regiment
Pennsylvania Drafted Jlilitia.
After his return from the Army he became chief elei-k for Fi-ederick and
Beck in the Car Construction Shops at Fullei'toii. When he had saved some
money he took a course in the Eastman IJusi-
ness College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., wliere
he perfected himself as one of the finest ))en-
men and accountants in the Lehigh Valley,
lie taught school two terms in Catasauciua,
and one term on the West 8ide ; and then
learnt the trade of a machinist at the Crane
Works.
Having finisheil his apprenticeship he
entered the emjiloy of the Catasauqua Manu-
facturing Comi)any, where he remained until
the Bryden Horse .Shoe Works were started.
At first he assisted Peter F. Greenwood, the
superintendent of the new works. After the
latter 's retirement, in 1882, Mr. Frederick
was placed in charge of the same and re-
mained in the employ of the company iintil his death.
Mr. Frederick was a member of Town Council for many years, and took
an active interest in municipal affairs. He was a prime mover in securing the
Pine Street bridge. Active as a fireman, he was a member of the Phoenix Steam
Fire Company, No. 1, and president of that Association for man>' years. He
was one of the originators and officers of the building associations of our town.
He was active not only in material affairs, but also in those things which
abide forever. He was a member of the Council of St. Paul's Lutheran Church
for many years, and served the congregation in an official way in all the depart-
ments of her work. What is true of the Church is emphatically so as regards the
Sunday School of which he was Superintendent, clerk and teacher for over
forty-five years.
T. F. FREDERICK
280 THE HISTORY
He was married to Mary J., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Andreas of
AUentown, January 27, 1869. To this union were born and survive : Charles B.,
Mary E., Mrs. Frank J. Reeves of Philadelphia; Harry; Alice C, Mrs. Adam
W. Pflieger of York, Pa. ; and Agnes A. Mr. Frederick died March 31, 1909, at
the age of sixty years.
ROBERT McINTYRE. Robert Mclntyre was born in Glack, Ireland, May
10, 1814. His father, George Mclntyre, a descendant of a long line of "Coven-
anters," was a man of note in the community. Older step-brothers were in
America and hearing much of the water-works for New York, then in course of
construction, young Robert at the age of seventeen ran away from school to the
nearby town of Moville, sneaked on board the "Progress" (a boat which made
the Atlantic trip in eight weeks) and landed in New York without money or
friends. He got to George Clark, who with other young men had been aided
by the elder Mclntyre to come to America, and was cared for and allowed to
handle the reins of a four-horse team. This team conveyed the workmen from
the "shanties" to the Water Works. When the news of the boy's arrival reached
his father, there was much rejoicing but Robert could not be induced to return
to his home and school. He remained several years with Mr. Clark of Holmes-
burg, who was already a wealthy man and contractor of the Water Works.
The boy saved his earnings, which his father had promised to duplicate,
and when the output of coal in and about Mauch Chunk began to attract atten-
tion, Robert Mclntyre went there and began business for himself. Here he
met Marie Enbody, who, in later years, became his wife and the mother of
eleven children. Prior to the opening of the Crane Works, Mr. Mclntyre came
to Catasauqua and his oldest son was born in the stone house at the Whitehall
entrance to the bridge. He built the big red barn on that property, sold the
original Fairview Cemetery to James W. Fuller, Sr., erected the first Jordan
Bridge of the C. & F. R. R., and sections of the "Lehigh Valley."
When the first Crane Bridge was thrown across the Lehigh, its piers abutted
on his property. Litigation followed and in the Court House Records is the
chronicle of an unusual and unique agreement signed by Crane officials of that
day and on which Judge Trexler gave a forceful opinion in recent years.
OP CATASAUQUA 281
Robert Mclntyre founded Porter Lodge, called it and his second son after
James Madison Porter of Easton, was its first "Worshipful Master" and re-
mained a strong advocate of the Order during his life. When John Peter sold
the original tract of land for Church and School purposes, Mr. Mclntyre paid
one-half the cost and David Thomas one-half. When the "Old School" sepa-
rated from the ' ' New School ' ' Presbyterians, he saw to it that an equal division
was made both of land and moneys, notwithstanding some strenuous objections
thereto.
He built the stone bridge over the Conemaugh, the only one to withstand
the "Johnstown Flood" and when the Washington Aqueduct was planned by
Montgomery C. Meigs, he was its foremost contractor. The immense bond re-
quired by the government was furnished by brethren of outside Masonic Orders.
Cabin John Bridge, a section of the supply aqueduct, is one hundred feet above
the roadway and has a length of four hundred fifty feet. Of it, in a recent
issue, the "Philadelphia Times" says, "It is one of the sights of Washington;
it is still the longest single span stone arch in the world; is one of the most
daring feats of engineering skill in this country and stands to-day a magnificent
monument to its builders. ' '
A strong friendship for Stephen A. Douglas led Mr. Mclntyre to purchase
much land in Illinois and in 1865, he began the erection of a fine residence now
in the city limits of Quincy. In 1866, he removed from Catasauqua and several
years later disposed of his farms in this section. When he died in 1875, he
was said to be the "richest man in Adams County." Reserved to a marked
degree, a master in his judgment of men, loyal to his kin and countrymen, caus-
tic in wit, he won a confidence and financial standing second to none of all the
' ' early timers ' ' in the town of Catasauqua.
JOHN McINTYRE. John Mclntyre left Ireland in 1832, came to Phila-
delphia and for a number of years served as bookkeeper for Richard Clarke,
contractor. He married Jane Noblett of that city and some time after came to
Catasauqua. Here he entered the employ of the Crane Iron Company as ship-
per on its wharves and was prominent in all town affairs.
He was a charter member of its first Church and when the village became
282 THE HISTORY
a borough was elected to the Board of School Directors. A number of houses
on Church Street were owned by him, and when too old for active work, the
Crane Company granted him a pension which he enjoyed while he lived. His
death occurred in 1887 when he had reached the age of eighty-seven.
JOHN HUNTER. John Hunter was another Scotch Irishman who rose
to prominence in this community. He came direct from Ireland to Catasauqua
in 1844, invested in canal boats and towed coal from Mauch Chunk to the Crane
Works. He attracted the attention of Superintendent Thomas and, therefore,
did much contract work around the furnaces. In 1852 he married the sister of
Dr. P. W. Quig who was the regular physician employed by the Crane Company.
He acquired considerable property and was noted for his ever-ready, helping
hand to poorer people.
WILLIAM McCLBLLAN. In December, 1851, William McClellan was
chosen elder of the First Presbyterian Church. His wife was Margaret Smiley
and they raised a large family, each of whom was given a college degree. The
wife of John Houston was sister to McClellan and both names were prominent
in the early days of the town. There were several families of McClellans in those
days and because they attended First Church, this branch was known as the
"Welsh McClellans." Some of the sons are still living and each has attained
prominence in his profession. With a number of other Scotch- Irish people, they
were among the first to remove to Adams County, Illinois.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS. William Phillips was born in Wales, January
10, 1797. He emigrated to America in 1838 and settled in Tamaqua, Pa. When
David Thomas, Superintendent of the Crane Iron Company, heard of him and
learned of his ability, he asked Mr. Phillips to come to Catasauqua. He arrived
in 1840 and was employed as a keeper of the furnace. He and Evan Jones were
the keepers of the furnace when the first cast of iron was made, July 4, 1840.
Mr. Phillips was married to an estimable lady in Wales and their union
was blessed with seven children, one daughter (afterwards Mrs. Charles W.
Chapman) was the only one born in America. He continued a faithful and
trusted employee of the Crane Company to the time of his death, May 19, 1867.
OP CATASAUQUA
283
JOHN HUDDERS. John Hudders, a direct descendant of Michael Clyde,
one of the original Irish Settlement leaders, who, coming from Ulster in 1728,
bought rich land in Northampton County. He was brought to Catasauqua as
bookkeeper for Robert Melntyre and for many years had charge of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad depot. He taught school, was leader of the choir and elder
of the Presbyterian Church, and lived to a good old age, honored and respected.
FREDERICK EBERHARD was born in Stuttgard, Wurtemberg, Ger-
many, March 5, 1809. He learnt the trade of a copper smith in his native land.
At the age of twenty-one he arrived in Philadelphia, where he found employ-
ment with the construction gang that built the first railroad between Philadel-
phia and Baltimore. Later he came to Mauch Chunk from which place he went
out to work in the coal mines at Summit Hill.
Coal and other produce was floated down the
Lehigh and Delaware rivers to Philadelphia
on barges or "Arks" as some people called
them, and seeing profit in the business, Mr.
Eberhard and a companion secured two mules
and started in to float barges. This was done
before the canal was constructed. The barge
was loaded, and then two mules placed on the
front end of it, and the trip was begun. "When
the water was high the movement was rapid,
but when the water was low and the current
sluggish the trip was tedious. After Phila-
delphia was reached both cargo and barge
were sold and the boatmen started to ride
back astride the mules, anxious to begin an-
other trip. Mr. Eberhard however, pur-
chased jewelry of all descriptions in the city
and employed his time on the return trip by peddling his wares.
In about 1831 he went to work in the copper mines at Flemington, N. J.
Here he met and married Miss Catherine, daughter of Peter Tillman and wife
FREDERICK EBERHARD
284 THE HISTOEy
(nee Miller), in 1832, whereupon he moved into a small house at Dry Run close
to where the trolley bridge now stands. For a while he made trips to Mauch
Chunk where he labored as a blacksmith, twenty-six days for a month, at $18.
When the erection of the furnaces began, Mr. Eberhard was employed to open
and quarry stone at the pit above the Hokendauqua bridge. This is now the
St. Lawrence quarry. Practically all of the stone used to build the first five
furnaces at Front Street was quarried here by Mr. Eberhard, and the stone
floated down the canal on barges. Mr. Eberhard contracted with the Crane
Company for lime stone to be used in smelting iron ; this he quarried out of the
pit on Jonas Biery's farm, which now is the property of the Davies & Thoipas
Company. It was at this time that Mr. Eberhard erected his home on the corner
of Front and Mulberry Streets, into which he moved his family. He also opened
a quarry and, by so doing, prepared the site of the Lehigh Valley depot. This
stone was hauled in small narrow-gauge cars drawn by mules over a bridge to
the furnaces.
In 1864 Mr. Eberhard retired and moved to Second and Turner Streets,
Allentown. In 1880 he bought the Peter Miller farm of 76 acres in Whitehall
Township beyond the Round-house of the C. & F. R. R., and opened stone quar-
ries. He also moved his family to this beautiful spot. Mr. Eberhard accumu-
lated a great deal of property. He held stocks in the Lehigh Valley R. R., the
Lehigh Coal Company, the Allentown National Bank, the Thomas Iron Com-
pany, the Wahnetah Silk Mill, and was a charter member of the Catasauqua
Gas Company. He was a shrewd business man, a staunch Republican, and a
firm confessor of his faith as set forth in the Augsburg Confession. He died
June 24, 1893, at the age of eighty-four years. Mrs. Eberhard died August 7,
1881, at the age of sixty-seven years. The children whom they brought to ma-
turity were: Eliza, Mrs. William Easterday; John, who was burnt with powder
in the quarry in 1857 ; Ferdinand ; William, who was killed in the quarry at
the Iron Bridge, May 13, 1898; Ellen C, Mrs. Charles Snyder; Franklin; and
Peter J.
FERDINAND EBERHARD was born September 25, 1837, at Dry Run.
After his school days at Dry Run and Deily's School House, he entered into the
OP CATASAUQUA
285
FERDINAND EBERHARD
quarry business with his father at the age of fifteen years. His particular duty
was to superintend the drilling of holes into rocks,
loading and setting off the blast. At the age of
twenty-six years he succeeded his father in the
business. The Jonas Biery quarry was abandoned
because the town authorities objected to the blast-
ing. In 1867 he contracted with the Thomas Iron
Company for operations in the (juarry at the Iron
Bridge. The Eberhards quarried the stone for the
Hokendauqua as well as for the Catasauqua fur-
naces. The stone for the two furnaces erected at
Hokendauqua in 1871 was shipped from the Jordan
Bridge quarry. Mr. Eberhard bought the first case
of dynamite used in this locality. It was called
"dualin" and sold at $1.25 per pound. His sons
are still running the quarry on the farm in Whitehall Township.
Mr. Eberhard was married to Miss Sarah A. Kean in 1864, who died in
February, 1891 ; and late in 1892, he married Miss Mary R. Lambert. The
children whom they brought to maturity are Carrie M., Mrs. Kemmerer; Wil-
liam P. ; Franklin J. ; George W. ; and Edward H. Mr. Eberhard is a member
of Porter Lodge, No. 284, since 1871, and of Grace M. B. Church.
PETER J. EBERHARD was born, April 25, 1850. School days being
ended, January 1, 1869, he began to learn the art of telegraphy at the Lehigh
Valley depot. In May of the same year he became assistant to John Hudders
whom he succeeded in later years. After six years of service he was given the
position of yard master at the Valley depot. When more help was employed
at the station, Mr. Eberhard was entrusted with the ticket ofHce wherein he
served for many years. In all he served the Company for over forty years.
He entered into matrimony with Josephine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron
Bast, June 7, 1873. Their children are: Ellen J.; Frederick A.; Estella I.;
Charles A. ; Katie E. ; Robert J. ; and Emma J.
JAMES W. FULLER. The subject of this sketch was prominently known
286
THE HISTORY
as the promoter of many business enterprises that have contributed in a large
measure to the commercial and industrial activity and consequent prosperity of
Catasauqua and the Lehigh Valley. The ancestry
of the family can be traced back in a direct line to
Robert Fuller, whose oldest child, Edward Fuller,
was the patriarch of the family in America. He
was a native of Norfolk, England. About 1607 f!
he went to Holland with his brother, who was a
physician. The name of Edward Fuller appears
as the twenty -first signer of the compact drawn up
on board the "Mayflower" previous to the landing
of her passengers at Plymouth Rock.
Chauncy Dorrance Fuller, the grandfather
of James W. Fuller, was the son of Jehile Fuller
of Connecticut. The former was born in western
Pennsylvania, and his son, James W. Fuller, 1st,
and father of the subject of this sketch, was born
in Luzerne County, Pa., August 22, 1821. He married Clarissa, daughter of
Henry and Catharine (nee Sterner) Miller, November 8, 1840. Abiel Abbott
secured him as an employee of the Lehigh Canal Company. From 1855 to 1865
he served as Justice of the Peace. While a member of the State Legislature
in the beginning of the fifties, David Thomas prevailed upon him to pray for
a charter for the construction of the C. and F. R. R. During the Civil War
Mr. Fuller became prominently identified Math the political and military affairs
of Pennsylvania and his influence with the Republican administration was
generally recognized. He died November 22, 1872, at the age of fifty-one years
and three months.
JAMES W. FULLER
JAMES W. FULLER, 2nd, was born of these parents, March 16, 1843. He
attended the public schools of town and private schools at Weaversville, Norris-
town and Kingston, Pa. At the age of eighteen he enlisted with the Boys in
Blue, and became a member of Company I, 47th Regiment, Pennsylvania In-
fantry, under the command of Captain Henry S. Harte. He was promoted and
OF CATAS.IUQUA
287
mustered in as sergeant August 30, 1861. On October 30 of the same year he
was elevated to the rank of adjutant. After a protracted illness, which overtook
him during the first winter of the Civil War in Virginia, he was honorably dis-
charged from the army and returned to his home.
For the next three years Mr. Fuller was
salesman of queensware for a Philadelphia
house. In 1868 he returned to Catasauqua,
where he organized the firm of McKee, Fuller
and Company, proprietors of the Car, Wheel
and Axle Works. Beginnings of the plant
had been made during the year preceding by
Charles D. Fuller, an uncle, and William R.
Thomas. The capacity of the shop at this
time was fifteen wheels per day. The new
firm at once commenced to enlarge the plant.
They bought the defunct concern of Frederick
and Company, built a forge and added an
axle department. Since then the firm was
knoM'n as the Lehigh Car, Wheel and Axle
Woi'ks, and developed an enterprise of ex-
tensive benefit to the business prosperity of the community.
The town of Fullerton was laid out by Mr. Fuller in 1870 and was named
in his honor. So devoted was he to his charge that he made his daily trips to
the works, personally superintended the mixing of irons for the casting of the
wheels, and made the rounds among his men in whose individual welfare he wap
vitally concerned. His advice was sought in many spheres and his opinions were
valued. He was President of the Catasauqua Manufacturing Company ; a di-
rector in the Thomas Iron Company, the Wahnetah Silk Company, and the
Ironton Railroad. At the time of his death he was Vice-President of the Empire
Steel and Iron Company and a director in the Lehigh Foundry Company.
He was married to Miss Kate M., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hopkin Thomas
in 1864. Five children came to grace their happy home : George Llewellyn, who
JAMES W. FULLER. 2nd
288 THE HISTORY
died at the age of twenty -one ; Maud, the wife of J. S. Elverson ; Blanche, Mrs.
Dr. L. A. Salade ; Mary Louise, Mrs. H. D. McCaskey ; and Lieut. Colonel James
W. Fuller, 3rd. He died, January 15, 1910, at the age of sixty-seven years, and
his body lies buried in Fairview Cemetery.
A PERSONAL TRIBUTE.
After Mr. Fuller's death William H. Glace, Esq., his friend for fifty years
and his companion in sickness in the garret of a Virginia farm shack during
the winter of 1863-1864, paid him a beautiful tribute. Mr. Glace wrote.;
..."Owing to the forethought of his uncle, Lieut. Geo. W. Fuller, a
victim of the same war, two young girls, daughters of the owner, Mr.
Wren, attended us through that long siege of sickness where we lay nigh
to death many weeks. After a tedious convalescence, he recovered only
in a measure, and was honorably discharged, whilst I recovered to serve
the full period of three years.
In 1891 he said to me, 'I wonder what became of the Wren girls; let
us go down and see.' We went to Washington and drove up along the
Potomac to the Chain Bridge; thence over into Fairfax County, Virginia,
and as we came near the place we could not fix our surroundings, as large
trees had grown where there had been farm land, and we stopped at a
farm house, when a man over thirty-five years of age, a Mr. Catlin, came
out, and we inquired if that house on the hill was the Wren house, and
whether the 47th Pennsylvania Regiment and 7th Maine Regiment had
encamped on yonder slope the first winter of the war. 'Oh, yes,' he replied,
'I heard my father say that the regiments lay there and lost 200 men that
first winter; anyhow the Wrens live there.' I shall never forget as he
turned to me and said, 'How strange; did you hear him say, 'my father told
me,' we forget a generation had grown up since that time.' As we entered
the house, the first object that attracted his attention was Lieu. Geo. W.
Fuller's photograph in full uniform on the mantel.
We had dinner, after which he gave each of the two women a bank
bag of gold. A young son of one of them, when he heard the clink of gold,
exclaimed: 'Now I can go to Washington and learn to be an Architect.'
Mr. Fuller inherited from his father personal magnetisna and an alert
mind, grasping a subject quickly, almost intuitively; had an excellent
knowledge of men and had that peculiar ability in a great degree possessed
by men of large affairs in selecting men for positions of responsibility and
trust and attach them to him by strands of steel. From his mother he
inherited a wiry constitution, free from taint, love of rural scenes, of ani-
mals and a rapid manner of speech ... In all my life I never heard from his
lips an unclean or unchaste word; never an oath, and under great provoca-
tion as a rule kept himself master of the situation. An aged mother had
but to express a wish and it was granted, whilst he stood sponsor for his
sister and brothers always ready to grant any reasonable desire. Fortunate
indeed was the son and daughters who had the benefit of his advice and
guidance, and it would be impossible in this short sketch to even enter the
OF CATASAUQUA
289
door in describing the good deeds done by him, and fortunate is the town or
community that can number a citizen like Mr. Fuller, whose life work lies
within its boundaries."
WILLIAM T. SNYDER. No name is justly entitled to n higher place in
the history of Catasaucjua than that of the subject of this sketch, for it was
borne by a man who most honorably discharged every obligation of life. He
achieved success for himself and at the same time benefited the community in
which he resided. He was recognized as a man of executive ability and cleai'
judgment and efificiently discharged his duties thus commanding the respect and
esteem of his fellow-townsmen.
William T. Snyder was born in White-
hall Township, May 30, 1839, and died July
26, 1902. He was the son of Felix and Lydia
(Moyer) Snyder. His educational advant-
ages were few. At an early age he was ap-
prenticed to learn the machinist trade with
an AUentown establishment. After serving
his time he worked at Coopersburg and in
the Crane Iron machine shops. Upon the
erection of the Car Wheel Works at Pullerton,
in 1867, by William R. Thomas, Mr. Snyder
secured employment at these works. For
thirty-five successive years he was superin-
tendent of the wheel department. He was a
mechanic of w^ell known ability, having pa-
tented a wheel centering machine, two self-
oiling wheels, a hydraulic gauge, and, in conjunction with James W. Fuller, a
steel tire wheel. He was perfectly acciuainted with every detail about the large
establishment and was devoted to his employers. Fidelity was personified in
every walk of life. Between Mr. James W. Fuller, 2nd, and Mr. Snyder there
existed the closest fellowship and most implicit confidence,
the closest fellowship and most implicit confidence.
He was married July 31, 1862, to Miss Eliza R. Yoder. There were born
WILLIAM T. SNYDER
290 THE HISTORY
to this union four children, one of whom died in childhood. Those living are:
"William J., a prominent business man of Brazil, Indiana; Annie, wife of Wil-
liam B. Clark; Lizzie Y., wife of James Davies.
When President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers, Mr. Snyder
promptly responded and served an enlistment of three months in Company D,
9th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and accompanied General Patterson's army into
Virginia as far as Martinsburg. When the time of his enlistment expired, he
returned to Catasauqua and resumed his work as machinist. He became a
comrade of the Lieutenant George W. Fuller Post, No. 378, G. ^. R.
Mr. Snyder was a man of a firm religious belief and held his membership
in Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in which he filled the office of trustee,
of steward, and of class-leader for many years. He was a liberal contributor
to the support of the Church of his choice.
CHARLES G. SCHNELLER. Charles G. Schneller, one of Catasauqua 's
early settlers and prominent businessmen, was born in Bethlehem, Northampton
County, Pa., on November 10th, 1821. His parents were George C. Schneller
and Mary Brown Schneller. His father was born in the West Indies, his
grandfather having come from Saxony, Germany, as a Moravian Missionary. He
attended the Bethlehem public schools in the thirties and at the age of fourteen
years began a seven year's apprenticeship in tinsmithing. In 1842, he opened a
tinstore in Springtown, Bucks County, Pa., aftei'wai'ds removing to Pleasant
Valley, Bucks County, Pa., and in 1848 came to Catasauqua and opened the
first tinshop in Catasauqua in the one and a half story frame building still stand-
ing on the northeast corner of Second and Mulberry Streets.
On the 15th day of February, 1849, he was married in Allentown, Pa., to
Mary A. Heavner, an estimable Christian lady of Haycock, Bucks County, Pa.
The happy union was blessed with the following children: Laura Schneller
(deceased), Henry D. Schneller (deceased), John P. Schneller, Emma B.
Schneller, Charles W. Schneller, and Mary M. Heilman (deceased).
Mr. Schneller immediately took active interest in the religious, political
and business affairs of the town. He was one of the organizers of Immanuel
OF CATASAUQUA 291
Evangelical Church, CatasaiKjua, and served that congregation in various
capacities. For ten years he was Superintendent of its Sunday School and he
served as a trustee from its organization until his death. For a number of years
he served as treasurer and was Class Leader for many years. In 1894 he repre-
sented the congregation at the sessions of the General Conference held at Indian-
apolis, Indiana. Mr. Schneller was elected in 1853 as a member of the first
School Board of the Borough of Catasauqua, and was Secretary of the Board for
16 years, and afterwards served as Borough Treasurer. He was a staunch Re-
publican up to the time of his death. ■
In 1854 he built the three story brick business block, known as THE
SCHNELLER BLOCK, at Front and Strawberry Streets, to which place he
removed his business, occupying same until he retired from business in 1887,
after 39 years of successful work. He did much of the water-main M^ork per-
formed in the Borough in the fifties and sixties. He was a volunteer during the
Civil War and was already on his way to Harrisburg. However, Joshua Hunt
needed him so sorely here in the installation of the water system that when he
reached Harrisburg he was ordered discharged and returned home. He became
connected with the National Bank of Catasauqua as a stockholder in 1857, and
served as a director from 1878 to the time of his death. He was also one of the
Board of Managers of the Fairview Cemetery Association. He was always in-
terested in the growth and welfare of Catasauqua and at one time owned three
acres of land on Walnut Street, between Fourth and Howertown Road, which
is now built up and includes the site of Grace M. E. Church.
Mr. Schneller was an upright citizen, active in all which would elevate
the moral and business standing of our town, and lived to be a grand old man.
On July 13th, 1909, at the age of 87 years, 8 months and 3 days, he laid his head
upon the bosom of the Universal Mother and, with her loving arms about him,
sank into the sweet slumber which we call death.
THOMAS JONES. The subject of this sketch was born at Merthyr Tydvil,
South Wales, April 26, 1838. He was the son of John and Rachel Jones who
emigrated to America in 1842 and located at Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pa.
On account of hip-disease he was unable to attend the public schools. Botli
2y2
THE HISTORY
his parents died wliile he was a hid of twelve years. lie iiiatU' liis home ^vitll
fi-ieiids and supported liiiuself l)y picking slate in a eoal l)reaker.
In 1852 he came to C'atasau(iua and
was employed by the Crane Company as
the carrier of the mails to and from the
Allentown post office. After the 0|)en-
ing of the Lehigh Valley R. R., when
mail trains hronght deliverit^s lO town,
Mr. Jones was set to tlrive a mule in a
cart to haul ore from the canal to the
furiuiees. His habits of observation and
eagerness to study, wherever he coidd.
soon (jualified him sufficiently to become
an engineer and a machinist. He was
chief engineer at the furnaces for eight
years, and master mechanic of the C.
and F. R. R. for twenty-tive years. In
1861 he graduated from the Eastmaj's
Business College at Allentown.
He was married to Miss Sarah Morgan, a native of Wales, in January, 1865.
Of their four children but one, Mrs. Miriam L. Brown, survives. Mr. Jones
served three terms in Town Council and two terms as Burgess. He was Super-
intendent of the Catasauqua Gas Company for five years and served as Secretary,
Treasurer, and General Manager for a long peiiod of time. He was Justice
of the Peace for ten years, and a Charter member of the Phoenix Fire Company,
which he served seventeen years as Engineer and eight years as President.
Mr. Jones is now living in retirement, en.joying "The company of my
good wife, my daughter and family, and the nuuiy kind and estimable friends of
ray youth and later life."
The family are mendiers of the First Presbyterian Church, where he sang in
the Choir for numy years. He is also a consistent member of the I. 0. 0. F.
THOMAS JONES
OF CATASAUQUA
293
DAVID GILLESPIE. Among the representative citizens of Catasauqua
who have taken a commendable interest in every thing pertaining to the wel-
fare of the community and who have contributed their (juota to its progress, was
David Gillespie. He was a well known and prosperous business man. By his
upright manner and honest dealing he gained the confidence and respect of his
fellow citizens. The best interests of the town found in him a friend and his
support was never withheld from any worthy enterprise calculated to promote
the general welfare.
Mr. Gillespie was born April 25, 1832, in
the north of Ireland, County of Derby, and
died in Catasauqua April 2, 1901. He came
to America in 1852, at the age of twenty,
and obtained employment with the Crane
Iron Company as boss of ore bins. He opened
a general store at 143 Second Street in
August, 1865. His integrity, energy and fru-
gality contributed to the success which he
enjoyed, and he was justly numbered among
the successful business men of town.
In June, 1854, Mr. Gillespie was married
to Miss Sarah Hazelett by the Eev. Leslie
Irwin, and they became the parents of the
following children: Mary, the wife of Henry [^
J. Leikel, Catasauqua; Mrs. Sarah Weisley,
Catasauqua; Robert, of Coplay, Pa.; Marga-
ret, wife of Charles B. Lawall, Catasauqua;
Elizabeth, Martha, David, and John, at home.
In his religious affiliations, Mr. Gillespie was a consistent member of the
Bridge Street Presbyterian Church, which he faithfully served as an Elder for
many years. For forty years he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, No. 269. In politics he was a staunch Republican and a most ardent
advocate of the principles of his chosen party. For three terms he served on the
DAVID GILLESPIE
294 THE HISTORY
Borough Council. He served on the School Board for six years, and gave his sup-
port to all measures which were calculated to advance the educational interest
of the community.
FRANK M. HORN. He who labors hard for his daily earnings and strives
still harder to save and lay up a pittance of his cash knows, as no one else, the
value of safety in a bank. One of the most conservative bankers in the Lehigh
Valley is the Cashier of the National Bank of Catasauqua. Frank M. Horn is
the third son of Colonel Melchior M. Horn and his wife Matilda M., nee Heller,
and was born at Catasauqua, October 16, 1852. He was educated in the Borough
FRANK M. HORN
schools and was a member of the first class that received diplomas at the hands of
the Catasauqua School authorities. Mr. Horn began his banking experience as a
clerk immediately after he left school. He was soon promoted to the position of
book-keeper, then assistant cashier and finally cashier. For a few years he was
President of the bank, but his services were found much more valuable as a
cashier and for this reason he consented to return to his desk. He was a member
of Company I. of the Fourth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, who
passed through the riots in the Reading Cut in 1877.
On January 18, 1882, he married Miss Lizzie F. Williams, daughter of John
and Emma Caroline, nee Heilig, Williams. Their children are Melchior Hay
OF CATASAUQUA 295
Horn ; Emma "Williams, now Mrs. Cornelius Van Inwegen of New York City ; and
the Misses Susan and Eleanor Traill Horn.
Socially, Mr. Horn is a member of the Porter Lodge P. and A. M., the Cata-
sauqua and Charotin Clubs of Catasauqua; the Livingston of AUentown; and
the Lehigh Country Club. He belongs to the Allen Commandery of AUentown
and is a Noble of Rajah Temple of Reading, Pa.
JAMES LACKEY came to Catasauqua from Reading about the time
when the first furnaces were erected. He opened a store in a small frame
building somewhere near the Lower Catasauqua depot of the C. R. R. of N. J. ;
and later he occupied the new building erected by Mr. Biery in 1835. Subse-
quently he leased an acre of ground between the canal and the river about a
square above the furnaces, and erected a store and dwelling, where he con-
ducted business until 1850, when the Crane Company bought the property in
order to extend its plant. Then Mr. Lackey moved his store to Front Street be-
low Mulberry where he erected another building.
In the fall of 1857 he was elected to the office of prothonotary of Lehigh
County when he moved to AUentown. His store building on Front Street was
transformed into the Bank of Catasauqua. Mr. Lackey served as prothonotary
until 1863, and as assistant in the office for many years thereafter. He died in
Allentown at an advanced age, and left the memory of a highly respected man.
COLONEL MELCHIOR H. HORN. One of the live spirits during the
formative period of our public schools, and a potent factor in the making of the
National Bank of Catasauqua, Colonel Melchior Hay Horn, was born in Easton,
April 9, 1822. The occasion is rare when a man's ancestors can be traced back
with definiteness to the second or third generation. The Colonel's grandfather
was Abraham Horn, who was appointed sergeant in Captain Thomas Craig's
Company, Second Penna. Battalion, January 5, 1776.' He also served under
Colonel Arthur St. Clair in his Canadian Campaign during the Revolution.
During the war of 1812 he served as Lieut. Colonel of the First R. P. V. R. under
Colonel Thomas Humphrey. His grandmother, the wife of Abraham Horn, was
Miss Susan Hay, a daughter of Melchior Hay, who came to Easton in 1738. Mr.
296
THE HISTORY
Hay was of Scotch origin. He was a member of the Committee of Safety during
the Revolutionary days and during the war served as a Captain in the army.
The Colonel's father was named .
Melchior Hay after his grandfather on his
mother's side. He served with his father
in the war of 1812. His wife was Isabella
Traill, a daughter of Robert Traill, who
hailed from Sanda, the Orkney Islands,
and was born April 29, 1744. Robert Traill
arrived at Philadelphia in October, 1763,
after a stormy voyage of ten weeks. He
came to Easton where he taught school and
studied law. He was admitted to the
Northampton County Bar in 1777, and was
the third lawyer to locate in Easton. He
was the clerk of the Committee of Safety
and was commissioned a Major during the
Revolution.
Thus we have before lis Melchior Hay
Horn and his wife Isabella, nee Traill, as
the Colonel's parents. Melchior Hay Horn, Jr., spent his boyhood days in Eas-
ton, where he attended the Van de Veer school. As a young man he was em-
ployed as clerk in the general store of Winter and Yohe ; and later served in the
store of Mr. Burk. He tried the store business for himself but soon determined
to relinquish the trade and take up his new profession as a surveyor. His talents
as an accountant and financier having been recognized, he was offered the posi-
tion of teller in Farmer 's and Mechanic 's Bank, now the First National Bank of
Easton, Pa.
In 1857 he was offered the position of Cashier in the newly organized Bank
of Catasauqua, which he accepted, and served with signal success until he retired
in 1888. From now on he served as President of the Bank until his death in 1890.
During the Civil War he served on the staff of Governor Curtin and aided in for-
COLONEL MELCHIOR H. HORN
OF CATASAUQUA 297
warding troops to the front. In 3862 he was elected Major of the Fifth Penna.
Militia; and in 1863 he was chosen Colonel of the Thirty-eighth Penna. Militia,
which Regiment was sworn into the United States service.
The Colonel took a lasting interest in the affairs of his home town. A year
after his arrival in Catasauqua he was elected a member of the School Board,
where he was kept by repeated re-elections for eighteen years, when he declined
another re-election. He was peculiarly well qualified for this position through his
early training in Easton, where school matters had been well advanced. He
served his town as Burgess for one term. His opinions were heeded and many of
his propositions still uphold and enhance life and property in Catasauqua. He
was largely instrumental in the establishment of the English Evangelical Luth-
eran Church of the Holy Trinity, and served as Superintendent of her Sunday
School for many years.
His life's partner was Miss Matilda L. Heller, whom he wedded October,
1845. Their children were Susan Butz, now Mrs. Martin L. Dreisbach, of Easton,
Pa. ; William Heller Horn, living in the City of Mexico ; the Rev. Edward Traill
Horn, D. D., L. L. D., Professor at the Bv. Luth. Seminary at Mt. Airy, Phila.,
Pa. ; Frank Melchior Horn, Cashier of the National Bank of Catasauqua, Pa. ;
Harry Yohe Horn, M. D., of Coplay, Pa. ; Isabella Traill Horn, deceased ; and
Charles Robert Horn, salesman of the Davies and Thomas Foundry Companj'^
and residing in Catasauqua.
Mr. Horn passed from the scenes of this present life; February 28, 1890, in
his sixty-eighth year, and his body lies buried in the family plot on Fairview
Cemetery.
LBIBERT. John Leibert, 1st, built the house below Koehler's lock,
known for many years as the Edward Seider home, early in the 19th century. His
son, John, married Catherine, daughter of John and Marian, nee Hackett, Tice,
and located on the "Lowlands" now the cinder tip opposite Koehler's lock. When
the first furnaces were erected the authorities needed some one to take charge of
the water power machinery, and, since all the Leiberts were mill-wrights by
trade, John was importuned to come and operate the water wheels at the furnaces.
He moved his family to Wood Street, in 1841, where he died, April 1, 1845. His
298 THE HISTORY
widow, Mrs. Catherine Leibert, erected the brick dwelling on Front Street, the
third door below Willow Alley, where she reared the following children: Mary
Ann, wife of James Nevins ; William Henry, master mechanic of the Bethlehem
Iron works for many years, having been considered one of the brightest men in
his line in the Lehigh Valley; Owen, superintendent of the Bethlehem Iron
Works for many years; Sarah Jane, of Catasauqua, and Gwennie, wife of
Jonathan Price, deceased. Catherine Leibert was born in New York City,
March 22, 1808, and died in her home on Front Street, February 25, 1898, at the
age of 90 years.
JAMES NEVINS. "My father was a linen- weaver. He read his Bible
regularly and guided his family in daily devotions. My wife was a Pennsylvania
German woman. She was a good woman, the best housekeeper I ever knew. It is
because of her that I own my fine, comfortable home. ' ' These were the plaudits
of James Nevins, who never tired of repeating the same beautiful and inspiring
lines. When his steps grew short, his frame weak and his voice husky, and when
he forgot many passing incidents, our aged neighbor never forgot his gratitude
for the blessings vouchsafed him in those gone before.
James was the son of Hugh and Jane, nee Brown, Nevins and was born
in Londonderry, Ireland, June 13, 1826. He came to America in 1845 and
wrought at Mauch Chunk for two years. Then he came to Catasauqua, where
he served at the furnaces for forty-two years. He married Mary Ann Leibert,
November 18, 1852, and died at the ripe old age of eighty-six years, January 26,
1912. His descendants who reached maturity are : John ; Owen ; Emma, wife of
James Morrow; and Margaret, wife of John Leibert. The last named enjoys a
wonderful gift of song.
DANIEL MILSON. DANIEL MILSON was born in Neath Glamorgan-
shire, South Wales, February 28th, 1830, a son of Charles and Rachel (Thomas)
Milson, the former born in England in 1783, and the latter a native of South
Wales.
He was reared in his native country and educated in the common schools of
his native town.
OP CATASAUQDA
299
At the age of sixteen he started the boiler
making trade with his uncle, Joseph Thomas,
at Neath. He worked at the Neath shipyards
up to the year 1852, then came to this counUy,
landing in New York after a long and dan-
gerous voyage of more than three months.
Shortly after his arrival he removed to
Philadelphia, where he entered the employ
of Merrick & Son, and later entered the
service of the United States navy yard as n
boiler maker, being one of the men who
worked on the vessel that captured Mason and
Slidel during the Civil War.
In 1854 he came to Catasauqua and for
two years was employed by the Crane Iron
Company, and after dissolving this connection
he was employed by the Thomas Iron Com-
pany in the erection of their furnaces at
Hokendauqua. In the latter part of the year
1863, in company with David Thomas, Jr., he went to Ohio, where they erected
a furnace of which he was assistant superintendent until 1865.
In the latter part of 1865 he returned to Catasauqua, and opened a boiler
shop on his own account, employing fifty men.
He retired from business in 1890 and took a trip to the scenes of his child-
hood, which proved a source of much profit and enjoyment. He was a member
of the Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua, and in his political affiliations was a
staunch Republican.
In 1861 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Davies, a native of Wales,
who bore him eleven children as follows :
Thomas H., Charles E., Annie, Elizabeth, David (deceased), Minnie, Joseph,
Daniel, Henry (deceased), Mabel, and Eleanor. He died November 9th, 1905.
JACOB S. LAW ALL. A glance at the lives of the representative men
DANIEL MILSON
300
THE HISTORY
whose names appear in this little volume will reveal many sketches of respected
and influential citizens, but among them none are more worthy or more deserving
of mention than Jacob S. Lawall, who was a prominent business man of this
Borough for a great many years.
A native of Northampton County, the
subject of this sketch was born at Hecktown,
October 13, 1832, and died in Catasauqua,
March 4, 1889. As a youth he attended the
public school at Farmersville of the same
county. He learned to be a druggist with
his brother, Cyrus, of Easton. Having
bought the drug business of a Mr. Brunner,
who kept his store in the building now occu-
pied by Mr. Bower's meat market on Front
Street, he came to Catasauqua. In 1859 he
erected a brick building on Front Street
above Church, and located his drug store in
this structurfe. In 1869 he built a large
dwelling on Bridge Street where he and his
family resided to the time of his demise.
On October 13, 1857, Mr. Lawall was
married to Catherine Buss, a daughter of Jacob Buss. This union was blessed
with seven children: Harry E. (deceased) ; Edgar J., of Catasauqua; Charles E.,
of Catasauqua ; Idella, wife of Dr. Dumm, of Mackeyville, Pa. ; Emily, wife of
Dr. Gable, of Lancaster; Marion L., wife of Rev. W. W. Wilcox, of Walden,
N. Y. ; Thomas W. (deceased).
In his religious affiliations, Mr. Lawall was a member of Trinity Ev. Luth-
eran Church, which he helped organize and, to the support of which he was a
liberal contributor. He was a member of Porter Lodge No. 284, F. and A. M.
In politics he was a staunch Republican. As a citizen he was public spirited and
progressive, and contributed his full quota for the upbuilding and development of
JACOB S. LAWALL
OF CATASAIIQXTA
.'JOl
llu' lirsl inteirst-s of l\w i oiiiiiniiiily, 11,. .justly lucritcd liir r.stcMii in whic-h lin
was lu'ld.
CIIAHLES W CIIAPJIAX. Clmrlcs W Cliapnuin cam,, of stiinly paront-
agv, liis fatlu'i', Joseph II. Cliapiuaii, li,.iiin; ;i uativ.' of X(.\v London, Conn., and
liis niothei-, JMartha Wooley, being- from Philadelphia, and of PJnglish descent.
He was horn at Manch ('huid< June 29, 1S36,
and (lied in CatasaiKjua March 13, 1904. He
was in liis 6Sth year at the lime of liis death
His family were raisi-d and <'{lucated in
IMancli ( 'hunk.
Jn 185;]-5J:, when the Lidiigh Valley Rail-
road was f>eing constructed through tliis val-
ley, he associated hiiiiself with his lirotlier,
Lansford F.. as a civil eiigin(.(.r and gained i
Iiractical knowledge of raili'oad construction.
When the ('atasau(|ua and Fogelsville Rail-
road was projected in ISoB, he and his elder
lirother laid out the route, the terminus at
that time lieing Chapman, a station named
after the family.
in 1858, he was engaged to iiin the lines
for the North Penii and Delaware Railroad
from Freemanslnirg to Delaware Water Gap. In 1859, he accompanied con-
tractor Robert Mclntyre to Washington, D. ('., and did the engineering work of
the Cahin John A'iaduct, which cai'ries the Cajiital water supply over the
Potomac. 'Phis stone-arch stimcture is said to he the largest of its kind in the
world. In 1860, he returned to .Maucli Chunk and enteretl the emplo.v of the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation ( 'ompan.v. Soon after, the Civil War broke out and
Mr. Chapman was mustereil into the service as a Second Lieutenant of Co. E.,
28th Regiment Pennsylvania ^"oluiiteers. 'J'his regiment won a great name in
the Armies of the Potomac and (.'umherland. He was promoted to P"'irst Lieu-
tenant Februai'y 1, 1863, and \\'as mustered out July 30, 1864. His lirother
CHARLES W. CHAPMAN
302 THE HISTORY
Lansford, promoted to Major in January, 1863, was killed in front of Chancellors-
ville Hotel during that bloody engagement, May 3, 1863. Charles W. Chapman
was engaged in the desperate battles of Antietam and Gettysburg.
In 1865, he returned to Mauch Chunk and reentered the service of the Le-
high Coal and Navigation Company, and in the fall he went with an engineering
corps to Broad Top as superintendent of the Broad Top Coal and Iron Company
and opened up several coal mines.
In July, 1867, he was made superintendent of the Catasauqua and Pogels-
ville Railroad and continued in that capacity until the time of his death. In
November, 1890, the Reading Railway Company purchased of the Crane Railway
Company a controlling interest in the C. & F. R. R., and Mr. Chapman was
retained as supervisor of the road.
On November 13, 1860, he was married to Miss Annie, daughter of the late
William Phillips. She preceded him in death by four years. They were blessed
with two sons, Lansford P., a civil engineer of New York City, and Edwin, a
machinist in the employ of the Atlas Cement Company.
In the life of Catasauqua, Charles W. Chapman has borne a prominent part.
Por many years he served as Borough Engineer. For twenty-four years he was
a prominent member and president of the School Board. Pairview Cemetery was
laid out by him and for many years he was superintendent of the same and
president of the association, never accepting any pay for his efficient services.
He took an active interest in the several building associations and was an in-
fluential member of the Masonic Order, being a Past Master of Porter Lodge,
No. 284, P. and A. M., and a Companion of Catasauqua Royai Arch Chapter,
No. 278, and a member of Beacon Council, No. 422, Royal Arcanum of Allentown.
In politics, he was a conservative Republican. As a citizen he was always fore-
most in promoting the advancement of the community ; in morality and temper-
ance he was outspoken ; as a friend he was steadfast and true.
ARNOLD C. LEWIS. Arnold Colt Lewis, son of Sharp D. Lewis and
Deborah Pell (Slocum) Lewis, was born in Wilkes-Barre, March 2, 1826. The
pioneers of his family were members of the Society of Priends, who came from
Glamorganshire, Wales, about the year 1863. Arnold C. was the sixth in the
OP CATASAUQUA 303
lineal descent from Ralph Lewis, who settled in Haverford Township, Chester
County, Pennsylvania. He served throughout the Mexican War as a Second
Lieutenant of the Wyoming Artillerists. After the war he turned his attention
to law and was admitted to the bar of Luzerne County, August 5, 1850. Nine
years later he came to Catasauqua and with his brother. Sharp D., Jr., bought
the Catasauqua Herald from Peter Kelchner.
Tn answer to Lincoln's call for volunteers, he began to organize a company
for the war. With forty-three men he went to Harrisburg, where they united
with others from Bethlehem, Pa., forming Company C. 46th Pennsylvania
Infantry. The company, with Mr. Lewis as Major, was mustered in, September,
1861, and was given its colors by Gov. Andrew G. Curtin.
On September 22, 1861, they were marching toward Frederick City, Mary-
land. Sergeant Sanaghan of Company C, who had been reduced to the ranks for
breach of discipline, threatened the life of his Captain. To prevent him from
doing harm, the Major ordered Sanaghan tied behind one of the wagons. Free-
ing himself, some one gave him a cartridge and as the Major rode past, the dis-
graced officer shot him from his horse. He died soon after and his body was sent
in a metallic coffin to his home. The interment was in Fairview Cemetery and
afterward the body was removed to a cemetery in AUentown. In the death of
Major Lewis, at the hand of one who pretended to have the welfare of his country
at heart, the imtion lost a brave officer when she needed him most.
Only a few months before he left on his fatal march to the south, he married
Amanda M. Rohn, daughter of William and Sarah (Weaver) Rohn. To them
was born one son, Arnold R., who is now one of the firm of F. Hersh and Sons,
proprietors of the largest hardware stores in the Lehigh Valley.
He was a Republican and an ardent supporter of Abraham Lincoln, with
command of the "Wide Awake" organization that did so much towards the
Martyr President's election. With his commanding presence he could do much
for his country for which he gave up his life.
WM. G. LEWIS. The subject of this sketch, Mr. William G. Lewis, was un-
doubtedly one of the best known Welshmen in the State. He believed that life is
a school arid in consequence stored his extraordinarily retentive memory with
304
THE HISTORY
valuable information which he utilized in his social intercourse with men. He
was genial and kind, and possessed an attractive personality by which he was
able to make and retain a large circle of
friends. He was no less esteemed and loved
by the Welsh people in this country than
he was honored and respected by his own
fellow citizens. He was affable and well in-
formed on all subjects and for this reason his
company was eagerly sought and his opinions
valued. He was prominent in the Welsh
musical, educational and literary circles. The
Allentown Eisteddfod, in which Mr. Lewis
always took an active interest, at their session
in Allentown, Pa., Nov. 25, 1897, in a pre-
amble and a series of resolutions, paid him a
worthy tribute.
Mr., William G. Lewis was born Decem-
ber 20, 1841, at Briton Ferry, South Wales,
and died in Catasauqua, November 27, 1897.
He was a son of Griffith Lewis and spent his youth and early manhood in his
native town. In 1864 he came to America and located in Catasauqua, where he
entered the employ of his uncle, Morgan Emanuel. After he had demonstrated
to his uncle that he had more than ordinary business ability, he was given an
interest in the business, that of selling powder and other explosives, under the
firm name of Emanuel, Lewis & Co. It was owing largely to his enterprise and
square business dealings that the trade of the company grew to immense pro-
portions. In his trade relations he came in contact with men prominent in
mining and quarrying interests and by these he was justly esteemed.
In June, 1863, he was married to Miss Margaret Allen. Twelve children
were born to them, two sons and three daughters surviving-: Griffith R., a prom-
inent druggist and business man of Cripple Creek, Col. ; William M., Manager
of the Grand Rapids Muskegon Power Company, Muskegon, Mich. ; Margaret E.,
WILUAM G. LEWIS
OP OATASAUQUA 305
wife of Mr. Frank M. Tait, Da>'ton, Ohio; Ellen J., a teadier in a private school,
Baltimore, IMaryland ; and Lydia, who resides with her iiiotlier on Pine Street,
Catasauqna, Pa. As hnsband and father, Mr. Lewis was loving and devoted.
His home was his chief joy and the welfare of his family was the object of his
zealous care.
Mr. Lewis was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and, in 1872,
was chosen a ruling elder, which office he held at the time of his death. He was
well versed in the Bible and his attendance upon all Church meetings was promj)t
and unfailing. He was a Past Grand of Catasauqna Lodge, No. 269, I. 0. 0. P.,
and a member of Iron Lodge, No. 1964, K. of H. In his political belief he was a
staunch Republican. Among his townsmen no one was more highly respected
and the eontidence reposed in him was never misplaced. As a citizen he
measured up to the highest standard and all projects having the general good in
view found in him a generous and active supporter.
PHILIP STORM. Philip Storm was a native of Bavaria, Germany, and was
born on the Rhine, September 12, 1829, being a son of John and Elizabeth Storm,
both of whom were natives of Bavaria. He attended the common schools until
he was fourteen, when he began an apprenticeship at the trade of tailor. At
the age of nineteen he embarked at Antwerp on a sailing vessel and after a
voyage of tifty days landed in New York. He tirst located at Eliazbethtown,
N. J., but later walked the entire distance to Catasaucpia. For nine years he was
employed loading coal on canal boats at Mauch
Chunk. In 1858 he returned to Catasauijua. During
the war he enlisted in Company D., 176tli Pennsyl-
vania Drafted Militia and served nine months. LTpon
his return he was employed by the <'atasaui|ua Manu-
facturing Company until 1889, when he .started bnj'-
ing and selling scrap iron.
He was a member of the Borough Council for storm
three years, was elected burgess in 1881 and re-
elected three successive years. He also served as health officer for twelve .years.
At the county convention in 1875 he was honored by the Republican party with
the nomination for sheriff, but was defeated at the polls.
306 TiHE HISTORY
Mr. Storm was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church; a member of
Porter Lodge, No. 284, F. and A. M. ; Allen R. A. Chapter, No. 203 ; Allen Com-
mandery, No. 20, K. T. ; and Fuller Post, No. 378, G. A. R.
In 1851 Mr. Storm was united in marriage to Gertrude Koch, a native of
Germany, who died in 1883. They were the parents of five children: John (de-
ceased), William, Mrs. Allen S. Heckman, Mrs. Mary Jenkins, and Mrs. A. E.
Seyfried. On October 9, 1883, he married his second wife, Sarah A. (TroUinger)
Miller, widow of John P. Miller of Allentown.
JOSEPH MATCHETTE. Captain Joseph Matchette, Gentleman, Chris-
tian, Soldier, was born in Seaeombe, Cheshire, England, on March 18, 1841. He
was one of nine children born to Joseph and Susanna (Truman) Matchette. The
genealogy of the family runs back to one of the men who crossed the Channel
with "Williani the Conqueror and at the Battle of Hastings took England from
the Saxons. He was baptized in the Episcopal Church of his native shire and
attended its school.
"With his father's family in the spring of 1852, he set sail from Liverpool
and after an eight weeks ' voyage landed at Philadelphia. The trip to Allentown
was made in a stage coach. Here his father made a home for the family.
During the winter months of the next three years he went to school and
shipped on a canal boat through the summer. The boat carried coal and iron
to Philadelphia. One day, while steering, he fell overboard and was taken out
of the water by his brother Richard.
At fourteen years of age he came to Catasauqua and drove a mule cart
which carried ore to the furnaces. Because of his interest in machinery he was
given the care of a pumping engine. In 1856 he began firing the first locomotive
(Hercules) used to carry material to the furnaces.
After his experience here he was given a position on the Catasauqua &
Pogelsville Railroad, where he fired the "Catasauqua," afterwards running this
engine and later the "Macungie." In 1860 he began work in the machine shops
of the railroad, intending to learn the machinist's trade.
The following year the war broke out and he laid the hammer upon the
bench and left for the front. He enlisted under Captain Arnold C. Lewis in
OF CATASAUQUA
307
Company C No. 46 Pennsylvania Infantry for three years. Because of his ability
to quickly grasp military tactics and his reliable nature, he was soon raised from
the ranks. Promotion to Corporal, Sergeant and Lieutenant came in quick suc-
cession. By November, 1862, the ranks were greatly thinned and he was made
First Lieutenant. In July, 1864, on the battle field near Atlanta, he was made
Captain of Company C, 46th Pennsylvania Infantry.
Fifty times during the war he was under fire. Among the battles in which
he took part are : Winchester, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Kenesaw
JOSEPH MATCHETTE
Mountain. His company was at the siege and capture of Atlanta and with Sher-
man on his march to the sea.
On July 16, 1865, Captain Matchette was mustered out. Returning home
he resumed work upon the railroad and was soon placed in charge of the Cata-
308 THE HISTORY
sauqua & Fogelsville Railroad. In 1868 he resigned from this position to go
into the contracting business. That year he moved to Gadsden, Ala., where he
remained for one year. Upon his return to Catasauqua he began working the
limestone quarry at Iron Bridge. After the limestone of this quarry was con-
demned, he was given an agency for the Dupont de Nemours Powder Company.
He served in this capacity until 1906, when, on account of age, he was retired by
the Company.
Since that date he, with his son, has been selling the products of the Inger-
soll Eand Co., dealers in quarry supplies.
April 8, 1863, while on a furlough from the South, he married Fannie E.
Lazarus. To them were born eleven children, nine of whom lived to maturity:
Charles L., Assistant Master Mechanic of the Carnegie Steel Co., Rankin; Wil-
lard, with the L. V. R. R. at Philadelphia; Minerva Lydia (Matchette) Miller,
AUentown; Adah Susie (Matchette) Walters, Lynn, Mass.; Joseph D., who is in
business with his father in Catasauqua; Blanch T. (Matchette) Wolf, Kreiders-
ville. Pa. ; Thomas T., Walnutport, Pa. ; Fannie May, Sophia, John Logan, Te-
eumseh, who are at home; and two daughters, who died in infancy. On De-
cember 20, 1910, his life partner passed away.
When he returned from the war he joined the First Presbyterian Church.
As time passed he was elected a trustee and later an Elder of that Church. He
was a faithful attendant at the Sunday School, and, after the death of Mr. John
Williams, in 1893, he was elected Superintendent. He has served in this ca-
pacity ever since.
He has been a life long Republican. His interest has been very large in
the school life of his home town, acting as a member of the school board prior
to his residence in Alabama. After his return he was a director for two terms
of three years.
His life has been one of earnest helpfulness and active usefulness to his
home and to his country. Captain Matchette has a large place in the hearts of
all with whom he has associated on the battle field, in the business world, in
Church work, and the social activites of his home town.
JAMES C. BEITEL. There is no man living to-day who has conducted
OP CATASAUQUA
309
a profitable business for so many years as James C. Beitel, who on December 8,
1913, celebrated the Golden Anniversary of the opening of his jewelry store at
215 Front Street. Mr. Beitel descends from an illustrious family. The Rev.
Heinrieh Beutel was a native of Adaiusthal, formerly called Mundorf, Austrian
Silesia, being born January 18, 1711. He served as missionary in Berbice,
Guiana, S. A., from 1740 to 1718 and 1751 to 1763. He married Miss Elizabetli
Paschke, October 8, 1739. Mr. Beutel died at Hernhut, Saxony, December 4,
1763. His wife was born January 23, 1714, and died at Hernhut August 10, 1783.
His son Johann Renatus Beutel was born
at Pilgerhut, Berbice, Guiana, S. A., De-
cember 21, 1740. He umrried Jidiana Schmidt,
a daughter of the pioneer settler of Nazareth,
and died at Nazareth, September 27, 1840
His wife was born Janiuiry 3, 1751, and died
February 15, 1824.
The next in the line of this family tree
was John Beitel, the son of Joliann, born at
Nazareth July 18, 1782. He married Miss
Anna Magdnlena Romig and died at Nazareth
August 15, 1870. His wife was born at
Emaus, Pa., February 22, 1792 and died
August 7, 1849. John's son, Josiah Oliver
Beitel, was born at Nazareth in 1811 and died
in 1898. His wife was a Miss Maria Sophia
Kern, born at Bethlehem in 1814 and died in 1895.
From this union proceeded our townsman, James ('. Beitel, who was boim
at Nazareth, June 15, 1842. His wife is Emma C, a daughter of Solomon Koeh-
ler and his wife Mary Ann, nee Ehret, and was l)oru August 16, 1845. Mr. and
Mrs. J. C. Beitel were married Deeendjer 29, 1863.
Mr. Beitel was educated in the Moravian school at Nazareth, ajid at the same
time learnt the clock-making business with his father. When Pi'esident Lincoln
issued his third call for volunteers, Mr. Beitel came forward, October 7, 1862,
JAMES C. BEIT EL
310 THE HISTORY
and was mustered in as a private in Captain Owen Rice's Company A, 153rd
Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was detailed as a member of the regi-
mental band. He saw service at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and was hon-
orably discharged July 23, 1863.
He now found employment at his trade in Doylestown. On December 8,
1863, he opened his store at 215 Front Street, where he continued for over forty-
five years. After Robert J. Beitel, his son, graduated from High School, Mr.
Beitel admitted him in 1900 into the business, and the firm title became J. C.
Beitel and Son. New lines were constantly added to the stock so that for larger
and more commodious quarters the firm moved into their beautiful store in
the National Bank Building during 1909.
The public estimate of Mr. Beitel has been attested repeatedly. He held
public office in town at various times. His record as Burgess and school di-
rector do him credit. He was a director of the National Bank of Catasauqua
for years ; and a charter member of the Lehigh National Bank, whose honored
president he has been since its beginning. He is also president of the Electric
Laundry Company, at Fountain Hill, Pa. He is a veteran member of Porter
Lodge, 284, F. and A. M., since 1874, and a comrade of Lieut. Geo. W. Fuller
Post, 378, G. A. R. His name is enrolled among those who held office in St.
Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church to which the family belong and which they liberally
support. Their children are: Mrs. Mary Louise Bender; Laura E., a trained
nurse in Philadelphia; Gwennie, deceased, former wife of Rev. J. W. Lazarus;
Annie K., wife of Dr. J. C. Lonacre ; Robert J. ; Otilla G. ; and Mabel 0., wife
of Charles Edwards.
CHARLES GRAFFIN. The man and his devoted helpmate who rear a
family of sons who bear a truly fraternal spirit to one another, are gallant and
devoted to father and mother, manly and honorable in business, ready to toil,
and above all alive to their relation to God and their own souls' highest welfare,
are a people who are really great. True worth is measured by blood, wherefore
he who contributes an honorable type of manhood to a community leaves that
community far more richly endowed that he who shines before his fellows in the
glitter of large possessions, not a crumb of which he is willing to share.
OF CATASAUQUA 311
Charles Graffin is the son of Thomas and Rachel Graffin. He was born near
Howertown, April 17, 1830, and received his education in the "Peoples' Colleges"
of Allen Township. When a young man of
sixteen, he came to Catasauqua and learnt
the trade of cobbler at which he toiled for
seven years. In 1856 Burgess David Thomas
appointed him as the first policeman of Cata-
sauqua. During the Civil War he served as
an emergency man in the 38th Regiment of
Pennsylvania Volunteers. After his honor-
able discharge from the Army, he was em-
ployed as time and store-keeper at the Crane
Iron Works, where he served for thirty-four
years. In 1893 he was elected to the office of
Justice of the Peace. President McKinley ap-
pointed him Post Master of Catasauqua in
1900, and in 1904 President Roosevelt re-ap-
pointed him. The Free Delivery System was
established during his administration, for
which a grateful people pay him a cheerful tribute. His son Samuel S. succeed-
ed his father in the Post Office and is carrying out many details which his father
had planned.
Charles Graffin entered into wedlock with Miss Maria, daughter of Felix
Snyder and his wife Lydia, October 31, 1854. This union was blessed with ten
children, seven of whom survive : Alvin J., Montclair, N. J. ; Robert T., Easton,
Pa. ; George W., AUentown, Pa. ; William F-, Germantown, Pa. ; Harry E., Cata-
sauqua, Pa.; Walter E., AUentown, Pa.; and Samuel S., Catasauqua, Pa. As
a member of the M. B. Church, Mr. Graffin is leading in the way of a Right Life. ' '
JOSHUA HUNT. Joshua Hunt was of English descent, his great-grand-
father having come from Birmingham, England, at the time when the Penn
Colony was established in America, and settled in Chester County, Pa. He
married Esther Aston and had among their sons, Samuel, grandfather of the
CHARLES GRAFFIN
312 THE HISTORY
subject of this biographical sketch. Samuel Hunt was married to Mary Beale
and from this union came five sons and three daughters. Thomas, one of this
number, was born December 19, 1791, and married Rachel, daughter of William
and Elizabeth Evans, of Lancaster County, Pa. They had three children among
whom was Joshua, born May 13, 1820, in Chester County, Pa. For the first
ten years of his boyhood he lived in the country, and later he lived for six years
in Philadelphia. While living here, he attended the Quaker Boarding School at
Westtown, Pa.
He began his active business career at Harrisburg, Pa., as superintendent
of a rolling mill owned by his father. When this property was destroyed by
fire, he again went to Philadelphia and obtained employment in the rolling mill
operated by his father. Later he came to Catasauqua for the purpose of acquir-
ing a knowledge of the operations of an iron furnace. He spent a brief period
in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., after which he became assistant superintendent of the
Crane Iron Works. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Hunt was made Cap-
tain of the Pennsylvania Emergency Militia Co. B. In 1867 he was elected
superintendent of the Crane Iron Works and held this position until January 1,
1882.
When he severed his relations with the Crane Iron Company, he was pre-
sented with a beautiful and elaborate silver service as an expression of appre-
ciation for his valuable and efficient services rendered to the company.
Mr. Hunt was identified with the Lehigh Fire Brick Company, Limited, was
president of the Catasauqua Gas and Light Company, chairman of the Baker
Lime Company, president of the C. & F. Railroad and was connected with the
Bryden Horse Shoe Company.
He was married August 13, 1844, to Miss Gwenllian, daughter of David and
Elizabeth Thomas. This union was blessed with eleven children. Mrs. Hunt
died October 25, 1875. Mr. Hunt was married a second time. May 4, 1880, to
Mrs. Hannah L. Mays, daughter of Dr. John Romig, of AUentown. He died
July 18, 1886.
In public afliairs in his own town Mr. Hunt was prominent and influential
and always took an active and helpful interest. He enjoyed to a remarkable
degree the respect and confidence of his fellow townsmen. He was a faithful
OP CATASAUQUA 313
and consistent member of the First Presbyterian Church in which he was an
Elder for nearly forty years.
DAVID HUNT. David Hunt was the fourth son of Joshua and Gwenllian
Thomas Hunt, born in Catasauqua, August 26, 1854, and died February 26,
1898. He descended from prominent families, his father being a son of an emi-
nent iron manufacturer, and his mother the favorite daughter of David Thomas,
of world-wide fame as an iron master and inventor. In his early years he
attended the piiblic schools of town, and spent three years in Swarthmore Col-
lege in Chester County and one year in Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. In 1876
he went to Oxmoor Furnace, Alabama, then under the management of James
Thomas. In 1878, he joined the Mackey, Scott & Co. expedition to Brazil as a
mechanical engineer to construct a railroad along the Madeira Eiver. This en-
terprise proved a failure and Mr. Hunt returned to Catasauqua, and, in 1879,
entered the employ of the Lehigh Fire Brick Company as manager. Under his
supervision the works were remodeled, modern machinery introduced and elec-
tric power substituted for that of steam.
He was a member of the Southwark Hose Company from its organization
to the time of his death. In political views he was a Republican and was firm
in his allegiance to party principles.
Mr. Hunt was married April 7, 1880, at Mobile, Ala., to Miss Anna L.
Manning, daughter of Hon. Amos R. Manning, who as for many years Judge of
the Supreme Court of Alabama. Seven children blessed this union, three of
whom died in childhood. Those living are: Roger, in Arizona; Gwenllian Tho-
mas, Martha Manning, and Grace Manning, all of whom live in Bethlehem, Pa.
As a citizen Mr. Hunt was wide-awake and progressive and his support was
given to those enterprises which he believed would prove a public benefit. His
affable manner and the many excellences of his character gained for him the high
regard of all with whom business and social relaitons have brought him in
contact.
HERMAN KOSTBNBADBR. As we contemplate the personality of Her-
man Kostenbader, we behold in our mind's eye a polished and cultured gentle-
314
THE HISTORY
man who was real throughout and bore no veneer. He was a native of Wurtem-
burg, Germany, being born in PfuUinger, near Stuttgart, April 9, 1842. His
parental grandfather, John F., was a paper manufacturer. His father Fred-
erick, was a Restaurateur for some years, after which he became a Forester in the
government employ, which office he held until his death which occurred at the age
of seventy-five years. His mother was Maria, daughter of Martin Keppler, a butcher
by trade. His mother died at the age of thirty-six years, leaving him and
two sisters as the fruits of her life. One of
the sisters was Mrs. August Kiesele, de-
ceased, in Newark, N. J., and the other is
Miss Charlotte W. Kostenbader, whose
home is with her brother's family at num-
ber 131 Front Street.
Mr. Kostenbader attended the public
schools of his native town until he was past
fourteen years of age. Four years of this
time were devoted to sciences and lan-
guages, especially Latin, of which he was
a master. When but a lad he took passage
for America in the "Bavaria," at Havre,
under Captain Baily. After a rough voy-
age, which lasted for thirty seven days, he
landed at New York August 7, 1856. He
proceeded at once to Philadelphia where
he served an apprenticeship in the brewery
of Schnitzel and Smith. Later he was in
the employ of Bergner and Engel, and John Klumpp. In 1860 he went to To-
ledo, Ohio, where he wrought at his trade for two years, after which he drifted
to Cincinnati, Ohio, and later returned to Philadelphia, Pa. In 1864 he came
to Bethlehem, Pa., where he worked for John Schilling for three years. In 1867
he came to Catasauqua where he joined Conrad Sehaffer in erecting the Eagle
Brewery. Mr. Kostenbader insisted upon making a pure beer and transacting
HERMAN KOSTENBADER
OF CATASAUQUA 315
a clean business, by which methods he succeeded admirably and made many
and lasting friends.
Mr. Kostenbader 's first marriage was with Maria, daughter of Peter Wagner,
in 1868. Mr. Wagner was the proprietor of a bakery in town. After only four
years of happy wedlock, his young wife departed the scenes of this life. In 1874
he entered into matrimony with Miss Matilda Strickler, a native of the Canton
of Zurich, Switzerland. This union was blessed with ten children, seven of whom
survive : Dorothy, wife of Rev. Charles J. Gable, Pastor of the Lutheran Church
in Melrose Park, Pa., August F., Herman A., Charlotte 0., Cecelia M., Mai-ie F.,
and Helen M., all living in Catasauqua. Mr. Kostenbader was a man of retiring
disposition and quiet manners. He was offered a number of public offices all
of which he courteously declined. He consented to serve as Director in the
National Bank of Catasauqua; and, when the Lehigh Bank was founded, he
accepted a directorate there. He never declined to serve in an official capacity in
his Church. St. Paul's Lutheran Church enrolled him as Trustee in 1897 and
felt favored to retain his services until his death. He cheerfully supported
his Lord's cause, and his name is written upon many gifts and memorials in
his church. He died December 15, 1909, in the 68th year of his life, and his body
lies buried in the family plot in Fairview Cemetery. Mrs. Kostenbader followed
him into eternity, June 11, 1914.
EDMUND RANDALL. The Editor and Publisher of the Catasauqua Dis-
patch for forty-four years, Edmund Randall, is the son of Lawrence H. and
Mary Jane (nee Dunlap) Randall and was born in Newville, Cumberland Coun-
ty, Pa., September 2, 1844. After his rural schooling he entered the printery
of Merklein and Frey, as an apprentice, in 1861. When a lad of less than 18
years age he enlisted in the army as a private in Company A, 126th Regt., Penna.
Vols., and served in the Fifth Corps of the Army of the Potomac.
After Mr. Randall had been honorably discharged and was mustered out of
military service, he went to Philadelphia again to engage in his typographical
art. Upon the expiration of three years he went to Minneapolis, Minn., where
he was compositor for two years. Later he returned to Philadelphia, where he
worked for Col. John W. Forney. On the 1st of September, 1870, he opened a
316
THE HISTOKY
printing house on Front St., Catasauqua, and began the publication of a paper
which he called 'The Country Merchant." What was originally but a little
more than a business prospectus was soon evolved into a weekly newspaper called
the Catasauqua Dispatch.
EDMUND RANDALL
The Catasauqua Dispatch played a long and important role in the life and
development of a town of ceaseless activity. It advocated wholesome and pro-
gressive measures and often played the part of a terror to evil-doers. When
OF CATASAUQUA 317
the Municipal Water- Works, which the Dispatch so unceasingly urged, had been
completed, a unanimous vote of thanks was tendered Mr. Randall by a well
attended citizens' meeting held in the Phoenix parlors. On account of failing
health he sold the Dispatch and his well equipped outfit, April 5th, 1914, to a
firm of young men who do business in the name of the Dispatch Printery.
Mr. Randall is the amiable husband of Maria B. (nee Williams), having
been united in marriage by the late Dr. C. E. Barle, in FuUerton, October 9,
1873. Their only child is Miss AUie E. Randall.
In 1889 he was appointed post-master of Catasauqua by President Harrison
and served four years and two months. So well did he perform the duties of
his office and make improvements to facilitate the distribution of mail matter,
that the Postmaster General wrote him a personal letter complimenting him
upon his efforts in behalf of the public good.
Mr. Randall was made a Mason in 1868 and, upon locating at Catasauqua,
affiliated himself with Porter Lodge, No. 284, P. and A. M., and served the
fraternity twenty-seven years as secretary. Upon the institution of Catasauqua
R. A. Chapter, No. 278, in 1894, he was elected secretary and continues in that
office ever since. He is one of the oldest Past Grands of Catasauqua Lodge, No.
269, I. 0. 0. P., served as financial reporter of Iron Lodge, No. 1964, K. of H.,
until it consolidated with Allen Lodge, No. 1764, and is still holding the office
to this date. He was one of the men who was instrumental in reorganizing the
Geo. W. FuUer Post, No. 378, G. A. R., and is one of the forty -five survivors of
the Post, which at one time numbered two hundred sixty comrades, and is the
Senior Past Commander.
DAVID DAVIS. David Davis, the subject of this sketch, was born in Potts-
ville. Pa., April 5, 1845. He is a son of Noah and Margaret (Gwynne) Davis,
natives of Glamorganshire, Wales, both of whom came to America in their
youth; the former, a blacksmith by trade, settled in Carbondale, Pa., where he
lived for several years, working at his trade. He then went to Beaver Meadows
where he was married. In 1846 he and his family moved to Catasauqua, where
he accepted the position of boss blacksmith for the Crane Iron Works.
318
THE HISTORY
Mr. David Davis attended the borough schools to the age of eleven years,
when he began to work in the shops of the
Crane Iron Company. After four years' ser-
vice, January 1, 1860, he entered the office of
the company as errand boy. He was after-
ward promoted to a clerkship and from that
time received various promotions. For a num-
ber of years he was chief clerk and January 1,
1892, he was appointed Cashier to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of John Wil-
liams.
In 1863 Mr. Davis enlisted in the 38th
Pennsylvania Infantrj' and served until the
expiration of his period of enlistment. He is
a memebr of the Porter Lodge, F. and A. M. ;
Catasauqua Chapter No. 278, R. A. M. ; and
Fuller Post No. 378, G. A. R; a member
of the Southwark Hose Company of which
he was president for thirty years. He is a
member of the First Presbyterian Church in which he holds the office of trustee.
Politically Mr. Davis always was an enthusiastic advocate of the principles of
the Republican party and received high honors at the hands of his party when
he was elected in 1905 for a term of three years as Recorder of Deeds of Lehigh
County, which has always had a large Democratic plurality. He retained his
position with the Crane Iron Company while serving as Recorder. He was elect-
ed a member of the School Board by his fellow citizens in 1874 and was re-elected
successively until he had served in this capacity for thirty-seven years. From
1878 to 1911 he was the efficient Secretary of the School Board. Mr. Davis took
great interest in the schools and gave his heartiest support to every measure that
was calculated to conserve their best interests.
In 1869 Mr. Davis was married to Miss Annie McKibbin of Philadelphia.
They are the parents of five children: Charles L., Asst. Master Mechanic of the
DAVID DAVIS
OP CATASAUQUA
319
Carnegie Steel Company at Rankin, Pa. ; Willard of Philadelphia, an employee
of the L. V. R. R. ; Bessie P., Mabel and Mattie, who are at home.
Mr. Davis always has given his best support to the movements which were
calculated to promote the various enterprises of the town in which he is one of
its esteemed residents. He is no less honored by his fellow townsmen than he
is loved in private life.
DANIEL DAVIS. Daniel Davis, son of Noah and Margaret (Gwynne)
Davis, was born March 12, 1842, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. When he was three
years of age his parents moved to Catasauqua. Here he attended the public
schools and was one of the first students when the Bridge Street Building was
opened.
After leaving the town schools he went into the blacksmith shop of the
Crane Iron Works. Having a mechanical turn of mind, he soon became an
efficient and capable workman. When the
Civil War broke out, he was only eighteen
years of age, yet he volunteered, and on Au-
gust 17, 1861, was mustered into Major
Arnold C. Lewis' Company C, 46th Regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. At the
expiration of three years he re-enlisted and
served to the end of the war. He was en-
gaged in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Au-
tietam, and Chancellorsville. In the last
battle he was captured and taken to Belle
Island at Richmond. After remaining on
parole for some months, he rejoined his regi-
ment in Tennessee and was with it in the en-
gagements around Atlanta and on Sherman's
March to the Sea. When he was mustered
out, July 26, 1865, he had been advanced to
the rank of Sergeant.
At the close of the war he went into the railroad business and was appointed
DANIEL DAVIS
320 THE HISTORY
the first agent of the Central Railroad of New Jersey at Catasauqua. This posi-
tion he filled until 1879, when the Thomas Iron Company gave him the superin-
tendency of the Keystone Furnace at Chain Dam. Seven years later the cotti-
pany made him superintendent of the Lock Ridge furnaces, where he was a very
successful manager for twenty-three years. In 1909 he retired from this posi-
tion and returned to the associations of his earlier days.
His mechanical skill, his bravery on the battle-field, his grasp of business
methods in the iron industry, his civic loyalty, his upright life, and his large
heartedness make him a man who stands very prominently in the minds and
hearts of those with whom his exceptionally active life has brought him in
contact.
Mr. Davis married Miss Gwenny Williams of Catasauqua and to them were
born seven children: Walter, the oldest son, has a position with the Westing-
house Electrical Company at Pittsburgh; Margaret and Mary are at home;
George, John, Emma, and Gwenny are deceased.
He has been a life long Republican, casting his first ballot on the battlefield
for Abraham Lincoln. He is a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of
Catasauqua. His membership in Porter Lodge, F. and A. M., 284, dates back
to 1867.
DAVID R. WILLIAMS. David R. Williams, the subject of this sketch,
was born in Glamorganshire, Wales, May 24, 1843, and died in Catasauqua, Pa.,
November 10, 1912, his body being interred in Fairview Cemetery.
He received his training in the schools of his native country and came to
America in 1864, at- the age of twenty-one. Having had a decided taste for me-
chanics and railroading, he became a locomotive engineer of great efficiency. He
was employed on the C. & F. Railroad and later by the Philadelphia and Reading
Company when they leased the C. & F. Railroad. Physical disability compelled
him to resign his position after a long period of faithful service.
Mr. Williams was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
Lodge No. 269, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church. In his political
affiliations he supported the Republican party.
In 1864 he was married to Miss Elizabeth James and the issue of this union
OP CATASAUQITA
321
is one son, John J. Williams, of Catasauqua. Mrs. Williams died October 5,
1900, and her remains rest in Pairview Cemetery. Mr. Williams was an enter-
prising, public spirited and liberal gentleman. He was highly respected by all
who had any dealings with him, either in a business or a social way.
GEORGE DAVIES. George Davies was born in the village of Merthyr-
Tydvil, Glamorganshire Wales, April 9, 1836. When he was two years of age
his mother, Mary (Philips) Davies, died. Seven years later his father, Daniel
Thomas, left his native land and brought his family to New York.
Coming to Catasauqua with his father in 1850, he worked at the trade of
moulder for two years and then served an apprenticeship of five years at the
machinist's trade in the Crane Iron Company's shop under Hopkin Thomas. In
1861, in company with Thomas Jones, he entered Eastman's Business College at
Poughkeepsie, New York, and graduated with
honors from that Commercial School. In
1863, while at Parryville, he enlisted in Cap-
tain James Thomas' Company, Thirty-fourth
Regiment, Pennsylvania Emergency Volun-
teers, and was made a First Sergeant. He
marched with his company to Gettysburg,
then to Port Richmond, Philadelphia, and was
honorably discharged at the expiration of his
terra of service.
Mr. Davies, prior to the war, was em-
ployed as Master Mechanic in Belvidere, New
Jersey, Camden and Amboy (New Jersey)
shops, the Novelty Works, New York City,
and at Parryville, Pennsylvania. At the close
of hostilities he returned to the latter place
but, in a short time, took up his residence in Catasauqua. With the exception
of about five years (1871 to 1876), when he had charge of the Carbon Iron
Works at Parryville, he remained here until his death.
In 1879 his brother-in-law, James Thomas, with whom he had been on terms
GEORGE DAVIES
322 THE HISTORY
of intimacy from childhood, purchased a one-half interest in the Davies & Sons
Foundry and Machine Shop, Catasauqua, and this business relationship con-
tinued until the death of Mr. Davies. The two men were devoted companions,
the wishes of one being law with the other. The firm was identified with the
"Wahnetah Silk Company, of which Mr. Thomas was president and Mr. Davies
a director. They were also the principal stockholders in the Electric Light and
Power Company which was established in 1890. Mr. Davies was a director in
the Bethlehem Electric Light and Power Company, established in 1882, and
Mr. Thomas was its president. He owned valuable real estate in West Bethlehem,
and was a stockholder in the Catasauqua National Bank.
Mr. Davies was identified with the Masonic fraternity, holding membership
in Porter Lodge, No. 284. He was a staunch adherent to the principles of the
Republican party. As a member of the school board, upon which he was serving
at the time of death, he was instrumental in promoting the grade of scholarship
in the Catasauqua schools. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
"in which body he served in the capacity of trustee, steward, and class-leader. At
the time of the erection of Grace Church and parsonage, he was a member of the
building committee, and was one of the most liberal contributors thereto.
On August 4, 1864, in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, Mr. Davies was united
in marriage to Mary A. Evans, who came with her father from "Wales. The
following children were born to them: John M., who died in 1885; Elizabeth,
who became the wife of Harry Graffin of Catasauqua; Rowland T., who lives
at the old home in Catasauqua; George, who was for two years Superintendent
of the Westchester Lighting Company at White Plains, New York, then was
connected with the Davies & Thomas Company's Works and is now serving a
responsible position in New York; and two infants who died in Parryville.
Mr. Davies passed away at his late residence. Second and Race Streets,
Catasauqua, October 1, 1894. He was a most affectionate husband, a devoted
father, a loving brother, a true and excellent citizen, a consistent Christian, a
considerate employer, and on all sides are spoken words of praise for the manner
in which he acted the part of a true man. His superior is seldom met, and his
death was universally regretted.
OP CATASAUQTJA 323
JOHN MORRISON was one of our oldest and most esteemed residents. He
ranked among those citizens who upheld the public stability and moral and in-
tellectual progress of their respective communities. Of a jovial disposition, he
was a favorite among his fellow townsmen. He was popular with all classes
and highly respected for his genial, humorous and consistent character.
Mr. Morrison was a native of Mauch Chunk, Pa., where he was educated in
the public schools. In 1860 he came to Catasauqua and was employed by the
Crane Iron Works as locomotive engineer. Later he was yard master for the
same company. Few men had a longer continuous service with the Crane Iron
Company than had Mr. Morrison. He was a faithful, reliable and conscientious
employee.
In 1861, Mr. Morrison responded to the call of President Lincoln for 75,000
volunteers and became a private of Company D., 9th Pennsylvania Volunteers,
under Captain H. C. Hand and served his enlistment in the Patterson campaign
from Chambersburg to Martinsburg, Va. In 1863 he was commissioned as sec-
ond lieutenant of Company B, 28th Emergency Militia for State service, mus-
tered at Harrisburg, July 3, and discharged August 7, 1863, the Rebel invasion
having failed at Gettysburg. He was one of the few survivors of Allen Lodge,
No. 1764, K. of H., and a comrade of Lieutenant George W. Fuller Post, No.
378, G. A. R. Just a few days before his death he was installed Surgeon of the
Post. Mr. Morrison was an ardent supporter of the Republican party, and served
several terms as a town councilman, contributing by his influence and support
to the advancement of all public affairs.
In 1862, Mr. Morrison became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and continued to be one of the most active, constant, conscientious and faithful
members. He served the Church in official capacity for many years.
On December 28, 1864, he was married to Miss Mary Smith, and the issue
of this happy union was four children: Mrs. Minnie Morrison, of Catasauqua;
William M. Morrison, an electrician residing in Philadelphia; Emily, of Cata-
sauqua; Lily (deceased). In his home Mr. Morriso was idolized. He died
January 6, 1914.
VALENTINE W. WEAVER. Valentine W. Weaver was of German de-
324 THE HISTORY
scent, his great-grandfather, having emigrated from Germany, settled in Vir-
ginia, whence he moved to Lehigh (then Northampton) County. His son, Valen-
tine, was married to a Miss Weygandt and had children, among whom was
Charles, the father of Valentine W., who was born January 9, 1826, at Rich-
mond, Northampton County. His boyhood days were partly spent in Northum-
berland County, where he enjoyed such educational advantages as the country
schools of those times afforded. He was a clerk at Berlinsville, Milton, Easton
and Catasauqua, all in Pennsylvania. At the age of twenty he became an ap-
prentice to the Crane Iron Works, and, having learned the machinist trade, he
became an agent of their mining intersts at Catasauqua and vicinity.
After Mr. Weaver was thus employed for several years, he became assistant
superintendent of the Thomas Iron Company at Hokendauqua. The Lock Ridge
furnaces were erected for the Lock Ridge Iron Company and were successfully
operated by him in the interest of the Thomas Iron Company. After concluding
his labors at this place, he went to Pine Grove, where the latter company had
extensive property and remained three years. The Millerstown Iron Company
secured his services for a time. In July, 1879, he took charge of the Coplay fur-
naces as superintendent. Here he remained for a number of years. He died in
Catasauqua October 11, 1893.
Mr. Weaver was married in 1848 to Miss Mary, daughter of Jacob Mickley
of Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pa. To this union were born seven
children: William M. (deceased) ; Valentine W. (deceased) ; Lizzie, married to
Mr. Yerkes of Hatboro, Pa.; Mary, wife of Mr. H. S. Bachman; Catharine M.,
wife of Dr. Berry of Allentown; Emily J. (deceased). Mr. Weaver was a
director of the Macungie Iron Company; a director of the National Banks of
Catasauqua and Slatington; and a director of the Hokendauqua Bridge Com-
pany. In politics he was a Republican, but he never aspired for official position.
In his religious affiliations he was a Presbyterian. He had an active business
career in various fields of labor, in which he demonstrated his thorough knowl-
edge of all departments. As a citizen, Mr. Weaver was patriotic, enterprising
and public-spirited. Socially he was a prince of gentlemen. The better he was
known, the more he was loved.
OP CATASAUQUA
325
BENJAMIN H. WEAVER. Benjamin II, Weaver traces his oi'igin back
to Germany, fi'om wliieh his gi'eat-graiidfather emigrated, and settled in Virginia
and some years hiter moveil to Lehigh (then Northampton) County. His soil
Valentine was the fatlier of Charles, who was the fatlier of the suhject of this
sketch.
Benjamin H. Weaver was horn in Richmond, Northampton County, Pa., on
August 21, 1832. His parents were Charles Weaver and Catherine B. (Hunnnel)
AVeaver. His boyhood days were spent on a farm. His educational training he
received in tiie puljlic school of the village. He
" - '1
I clerked for two years in the store of Ilallenbaek
& Reets in WiJkes-J^arre, Pa. In 1859 he came
to Catasau(|ua, and was employed by the Crane
Iron Comjtany. In 1S61 he responded to the
call of President Lincoln for volunteers, and
enlisted in tlie First Pennsylvania A'ohaiteers,
Company A, under Colonel Yohe of Easton.
After three months — the term of enlistment — he
returned to Catasaui|ua. In the same year he
re-enlisted for a term of thi-ee years in the 46th
Penns.vlvania A'olunteers under Colonel Knipe.
He sei'ved one year and a half, when he was
wounded in the right shoulder in the Battle of
Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, and was sent
to the hospital at Alexandria, Va., where he was
confined from August 9 to October 23, 1862. As a Ijrave and intrepid soldier
he was anxious to rejoin his Company but was honorably discharged on account
of p)hysical disability. He returned to Catasauijua and was re-employed by the
Crane Iron Company as mining agent, which position he held for several years.
After he severed his relation with the Crane Iron Company, he continued in
the same business for himself to the present time.
On November 4, 1864, Mr. Weaver was uuirried to Miss ]\Iary Duff, daugh-
ter of David Duff and his wife Isabella. The issue of this happy union is four
BENJAMIN H. WEAVER
326 THE HISTORY
sons and four daughters as follows: Jessie L." (deceased) ; Harry B., Superin-
tendent of the AUentown Iron Company; Gertrude B. (deceased); Ealph S.,
Superintendent of the AUentown Portland Cement Co. ; Mary Naomi, who lives
with her father; Margaret I. (deceased) ; Adrian B., Sales Agent for Eogers,
Brown & Co., of Chicago; Cooper F., draughtsman for American Steel and
Iron Co., at Lebanon, Pa.
Mr. Weaver's affiliations are with the Republican party, to whom he has
given his allegiance and support since attaining his majority. He is a consistent
member of the First Presbyterian Church. He is faultless in honor, fearless in
conduct, and stainless in reputation.. He is always the same honorable and
honored gentleman whose worth well merits the high regard which is uniformly
given to him.
WILLIAM YOUNGER. William Younger was born November 25, 1825,
and died in Catasauqua, Pa., December 13, 1906. He was the son of Casper
Younger and his wife Catherine (Fink) Younger. Casper Younger was born
in Bavaria in 1790 and emigrated to America, settled in Lehigh County and
served as an officer in the War of 1812. He was a carpenter by trade and died
in 1869.
When William Younger was an infant, his parents moved from Upper
Saucon to Philadelphia where he was educated in the city schools. He was ap-
prenticed to a silversmith, but at the age of eighteen he returned to Upper
Saucon and, with his uncle, John Berger, engaged in the milling business. When
he became twenty-one years of age, he returned to Philadelphia and enlisted in
1847 in Company B, Third United States Dragoons, under Captain Butler, for
the Mexican War. The work of this Company was to guard the supply trains
along the Mexican border. After eighteen months' service the company was
discharged and Mr. Younger returned to Lehigh County. For a short time he
followed his trade but, the love of adventure and travel predominating, he made
two trips to California, the first' from 1850 to 1852 and the second in 1853. He
removed to Catasauqua in 1855 and entered into partnership with Milton Berger
in the milling business. When his partner died in 1871, he purchased the re-
OP CATASAUQUA
327
niainiug interest of tlie mill. He equipped it with modern machinery and en-
joyed an extensive and profitable trade.
In 1S57 Mr. Younger married Miss Isabella, daughter of Henry Kurtz, of
Hanover Township, and to them were boi-n the following children: Amanda L.,
wife of Cliiford H. Riegel, of Catasauqua; Emma J., deceased; Grant R., de-
WILLIAM YOUNGER
ceased; William, deceased; Henry C, of Catasauqua; Ada I., wife of Samuel
Gemmel; Esther A., and Ralph, of Catasauqua.
Mr. Younger was an advocate of the principles of the Democratic party.
He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He was a man of influence
in the community and took an active interest in everything pertaining to its wel-
fare. He commanded the respect and confidence of all with whom he was asso-
ciated.
328
THE HISTORY
WILLIAM McCLAIN KILDARE. William McClain Kildare was born in
Chester, Pa., January 29, 1831, and died in Catasauqua, May 26, 1906. His
father was William Kildare, who came to Catasauqua with his family in 1841.
William MeClain Kildare was but ten years of age when his parents became resi-
dents of Catasauqua, and he resided in town to the time of his death, at which
time he was considered the oldest resident of town.
He enjoyed such educational advantages as the public schools afforded.
He learned the trade of moulder at the Crane
Iron Works and later was employed at the
Union Foundry and Machine Shop. For
thirty-three consecutive years he was a faith-
ful and efficient employee of the Catasauqua
and Fogelsville Railroad, first as fireman, next
as engineer and finally as conductor.
Mr. Kildare was married to Miss Amanda
E. Sellers, August 20, 1853. From this union
there issued four children as follows : Laura
Virginia, wife of Irwin H. Ritter, Philadel-
phia, Pa. ; Rose C, who resides with her
mother in Catasau([ua, Pa. ; Albert B., of
South Bethlehem, Pa. ; and William H., of
Catasauqua, Pa.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Kildare 's
support was given to the Republican party.
He was a devoted and consistent member of Grace Methodist Episcopal
Church, serving the Church in an official capacity as Trustee and Steward, and
Treasurer of the Sunday School for many years.
Mr. Kildare was one of the most highly esteemed residents of Catasauqua.
He was of amiable disposition, kind heart and noble character, who was to his
neighbors a true friend and to his wife and children a devoted husband and
father.
WILLIAM McCLAlN KILDARE
JOHN WILLIAMS. The subject of this sketch was a native of Landore,
op CATASAUQUA
329
Wales, and was Iwni NovciiilHn- 20, 1S24. When l)ut a little over eight years of
ag-e, he was brought to America by his parents and located at .Schenectady,
N. Y. At tile age of fourteen he entered the employ of John Fullagar of that
city, as a clerk. In 1^45 he followed the i-est of the fanuly, who were then living
at (.'atasauipia. and at once entered the office
of the Crane Iron Company. His first duty
was to weigh the ore and limestone that M-as
hauled liither by team, to feed three furnaces.
Those were busy days, for team was followed
by team all day long. In 1849 he was ■ ;
promoted to the position of Assistant ( 'ashler ;
and, aftei' the death of Owen Rice, he was
in-omoted in ISfiG to the office of Cashier. He
performed the duties of this office witli signal
fidelity thi-onghout the i-emainder of his life.
ilr. Williams \\as actively eoiniected
with many local enterprises. He ])articii>;d-
ed in the oi'ganization of the Catasan(|ua
IMannfactni'ing ('ompan\' in which he h(d(l
office until his decease. He sei'ved as Passen-
ger Agent foi' the C. & V. R. R. Company for
many yeai's, and was Dii'ector and latei- the President of the Catasauf[na Gas
(Vmipany. He was a Dii'ector and at the time of his death Vice-President of
tile National Hank of Catasauqua. He was also a Dii-ector in the Lehigh Valley
Trust and Safe Deposit (.'ompanj' of Allentown, and Pr'esident of the Farmers'
Fire Insurance ( 'ompany of ITjiper and Lower Saueon Townships, and President
of the Fairview (.'emetery Association. Since man's acts are more elo(juent than
his words, it is but necessai'y to poiid to the many associations in which his
counsel and encouragements were sought to show the shrewd and pleasing char-
acter of the man, and his earnest endeavor to promote the welfare of his fellow
townsmen.
She, whom he led to the liridal altar, September 14, 1S52, was Emma Caro-
7 '
is
/
/
/
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/
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i'
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JOHN WILLIAMS
330 THE HISTORY
line Heilig, daughter of Rev. George Heilig, a Lutheran clergyman. Her moth-
er's maiden name was Susannah Hook. They began housekeeping on Church
Street in one of the Company homes. Mrs. "Williams repeatedly declared the
happiest period of her life was the season of her housekeeping on Church Street.
For a while the famil^y lived in Fuller's Block. After David Thomas left the
"Mansion" on Front Street, John Williams and family occupied it. During
1870 he erected the beautiful home on Bridge Street which he occupied until
his death, May 24, 1892, and his widow after him, until her death, September
29, 1913. The hospitality of the Williams home was as genuine as its surround-
ings, which being adorned with palms, ferns and many rare plants, were beau-
tiful and inviting. The fruits of this union were eight children, four of whom
survive: Lizzie S., Mrs. Frank M. Horn, Annie, Mrs. Edward D. Boyer, and
Messrs. John T. and George H. Williams.
In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Williams took up their membership in the First Pres-
byterian Church, in which he was elected an Elder in 1872; and he served his
people as Superintendent of the Sunday School for many years — until his death.
With an intermission of one year he served the Borough as Burgess from 1861
to 1873.
ROBERT E. WILLIAMS. Robert E. Williams was born November 2, 1836,
in North Wales. He was educated in the schools of his native land. The call
of America rang loud in the ears of the youth of nineteen and he set out for
the land of opportunity. In 1855 he located in York County, Pennsylvania, and
two years later came to Catasauqua. His first work was with the Crane Iron
Company for whom he ran a blast furnace.
Six years after coming to America Mr. Williams answered Lincoln's call
for volunteers. His inherent patriotism went out to the new land and he was
among the first to offer his life, if need be, to preserve her during those crucial
days. On April 3, 1861, he was mustered into Company D of the Ninth Regi-
ment under Captain Hand of AUentown, Pa. His regiment was engaged at
Martinsburg, Harper's Ferry and Harrisonburg, and at these places he proved
himself a brave soldier. Upon the expiration of three months, the period for
which he had enlisted, again offering his services to the nation, he was mustered
OF CATASAUQUA 331
into Company C of the Forty -sixth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.
He served with this Regiment in all its engagements, including the Battle of
Winchester, until he was wounded in the battle of Cedar Mountain. A bullet
passed through his body and he lay on the battle field for forty-eight hours before
medical aid could be given him. After this experience he was cared for in
Culpepper Court House for two days and then was taken to a hospital in Alex-
andria, Virginia. Three months later he was able to leave and in November,
1862, was mustered out of service. The effects of the wound and the delay in
its care kept him in ill health for almost ten years.
In 1864 the Catasauqua & Fogelsville Railroad made him a weighmaster.
After nine months in this position he was transferred to the general office at
Catasauqua, where he was chief clerk. Soon after he was made general freight
agent and cashier. "When the railroad was sold to the Philadelphia and Reading
Railroad Company in 1890, the general freight agency in Catasauqua was dis-
continued. After nearly thirty years with the Catasauqua & Fogelsville Rail-
road, he became, in 1891, head bookkeeper for the firm of Davies & Thomas.
He was a stockholder in the National Bank of Catasauqua.
In 1864 he married Miss Maggie Price, daughter of David Price of Millers-
ville, Pennsylvania. To the family circle was added an adopted daughter, Cora
B. (Williams) Wade, who for some years taught in the Catasauqua public
schools and, at the present time, resides in East Orange, New Jersey. He died
February 18, 1903.
Mr. Williams was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua
and became an Elder. His political convictions were Republican, and he acted
as Burgess for two terms, his first election having been in 1885. He was a Past
Master of Porter Lodge, No. 284, F. and A. M. ; Past Grand of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows No. 269; Allen Commandery No. 20, K. T. ; the Allen
Council No. 23, R. & S. M. at AUentown ; and Past Commander of Fuller Post
No. 378, G. A. R.
OLIVER WILLIAMS. To Mr. and Mrs. David Williams, in South Wales,
was born a son, named Oliver, April 23, 1831. When an infant of two years,
his parents brought him to America and located in Schenectady, N. Y. His father
332
THE HISTORY
traveled extensively in this country and Mexico and published a series of articles
entitled "Cymro in Mexico." These articles gained for him a national reputa-
tion.
Oliver received his early training in rural schools. During 1843 he at-
tended the old AUentown Academy, then under the care of Prof. McClenachan.
Later he spent one session under the tutorage
of Prof. Bleck of Bethlehem, Pa. He learnt
the trade of an iron moulder at which he
worked until 1849, when he entered the opti-
cal establishment of McAllister and Company,
of Philadelphia, which he served for three
years. In 1853 he joined James W. Queen,
one of the McAllister firm, in establishing the
J. W. Queen Company.
In 1855 Mr. Williams went to Milwaukee
where he came in contact with Chester A.
Arthur through whom he met R. L. Harden-
burg, who induced him to enter the leather
business in Chicago in 1858. He remained in
Chicago until 1867, when his life long friend,
David Thomas, offered him the position of
manager of the Catasauqua Manufacturing
Company. He served this company for 25 years, during which time this plant
became the largest merchant iron mill east of the AUeghenies. He was also one
of the originators of the Bryden Horse Shoe Works, serving as President and
Treasurer of the Company for many years. He was President of the Union
Foundry and Machine Company, Vice-President of the Whitehall Portland
Cement Company at Cementon and President of the Cement National Bank at
Siegfried, Pa. He was President of the National Iron Association, of the Eastern
Bar Iron Association, and was a member of the American Institution of Mining
Engineers.
Mr. Williams was united in marriage with Anna, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
OLIVER WILLIAMS
(IK t'ATASAUyUA
3:i:{
Jolin Ileilig- of ({('niuintowii. Pa. 'Pln-cc daufiiitci-s were lioni to tliciii : Mrs. 1). Jj.
Eiiuunu'l, Mrs. R. (). Koclilcr mid J\li-s. Ocoi-gc E. lloltoii. lie was an ac1iv<'
("luircli workt'i- and was Sii]i('rinteiideiit of flic Sunday Scliool of Trinity Ev.
Lutlieran Cliureli at the time of his dcatli. His activities and interest in musical
circles was marked liy his liberal support of the local Amphion Choral Society
and the (.Oratorio Society of Allentown, Pa. He was a close student, a rare con-
versationalist, an observant travelei-, a ready speaker, a gr-aceful wiitei', a
liberal giver and an energetic business man. He died September 17, 1904, and
his body was interred in the family plot in Fairview Cemetery.
BENJAMIN F. SWARTZ. On April 7, 1888, at Swartz 's Dam, one and
onedialf miles north of Catasau(iua, Pa., IVnjamin F. Swartz was lioi-n, and
died April 8, 1901), at his home in Catasau(pui. He was a descendant of one of the
oldest and most pi'omineiit families in
Northamjjton County. His fatlici^'s name
was Chi'istian Swai'tz and his mother's
name was Catherine Heller. Benjauun
F. was next to the youngest of the fam-
ily and was reared to manhood in his
native count\'. He obtained a fair edu-
cation in the district schools. After
clerking in stores for sevei'al years, he
entered Wyoming Seminary, where he
cai'ried on his studies dui'ing 1856 and
1857. In the fall of the following year
he went to Ohio, where for two and one-
half years he clerked in a store in
Wyandot County. He was a successful
business man and in partnership with
Mr. Park conducted a general store in
Carey, Ohio, until the fall of 1865, when he disposed of his interest and formed a
partnership with his brother, the firm lieing B. F. & C. Swartz, and engaged in
the dry-goods business in Kenton, Ohio.
BENJAMIN F. SWARTZ
334 THE HISTORY
In 1869, Mr. Swartz came to Catasau(|ua and was engaged by McKee, Puller
& Co. as their traveling salesmen. In 1883 he was taken into the company as a
stockholder and was connected with it to the time of his death.
On November 27, 1861, Mr. Swartz was married to Miss Anna L. Dow of
Carey, Ohio. Mrs. Swartz was educated in "Wesleyan University at Delaware,
Ohio, and by her union with Mr. Swartz has become the mother of two children,
Maud 0., the wife of Mr. George Graffin of AUentown, and Benjamin P. D., who
died April 17, 1886.
Mr. Swartz was a devoted member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. He
served the Church as Trustee and Treasurer for many years, and was one of the
most liberal contributors towards the current expenses of the local Church as
well as to all the benevolent enterprises of the Church. In politics he was an
ardent Republican never failing to aid any measure for the betterment of the
community. His gentlemanly courtesies won for him a host of friends.
JONAS P. MOYER. One of the citizens of the Borough who has always
taken an active interest in its welfare, politically, socially, and morally, is Jonas
P. Moyer. He was born at Macungie, Lehigh County, Pa., June 2, 1850, being
a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Mertz) Moyer, the father, a native of Upper
Milford, and the mother, of Macungie. The paternal grandfather was born in this
State, but his father was a native of Holland, who was one of the early settlers
in this county.
Mr. Moyer is the fourth in order of birth in his parents' family, there being
eight children. He was reared in the place of his birth and attended its public
schools. On June 21, 1877, he graduated from the Keystone State Normal School,
Kutztown, Pa., and commenced teaching at the age of eighteen, and followed this
profession for eighteen years. He clerked in stores in Philadelphia, AUentown,
and Macungie. Por about twenty-eight years he represented the Mutual Benefit
Life Insurance Co. of Newark, N. J. Mr. Moyer was postmaster of Town from
1894-1898 and also acting postmaster during the sickness of his successor, Henry
Davis, from July 1899 to March 1900. It was in 1898 that Mr. Moyer was
elected to the House of Representatives, serving during the three sessions of 1899,
and 1901, and 1903. Three years later, when the Lehigh National Bank of Town
OP CATASAUQUA 335
was organized, he was selected as its first cashier, which position he has held very
creditably to this time.
Mr. Moyer was married in 1878 to Celia R. Troxell, who was born in Wash-
ington Township, and is a daughter of E. A. Troxell, who was a merchant of town
for many years. To Mr. and Mrs. Moyer were born nine children, seven living :
JONAS F. MOYER
Samuel B., William A., Ida E. (Mrs. A. Keenan), Russell F., Ellen M., Clarence
T., Paul W., and, Mamie E. and Solon P. (deceased).
Mr. Moyer is an Odd Fellow, a Past Officer of the Knights of the Golden
Eagle, and a Past Officer of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, being one of the
founders. He is an active member of the Reformed Church, Superintendent of
the Sunday School, and has been in many ways before the public in leading roles.
336 THE HISTORY
WILLIAM W. McKEE. This biographical record would be incomplete if
within its pages a sketch of the above named gentleman should fail to appear. He
occupied a high social position in this community and was deservedly respected
by those who were favored with his friendship. The simple record of an honor-
able life is the finest monument which can be reared by any citizen, and it is there-
fore unnecessary to enlarge upon his history.
He was the second son of James H. and Mary (Thomas) McKee, and was
born December 27, 1852, in Jersey City, and died June 27, 1905, in Catasauqua.
His parents moved to Philadelphia where he spent his boyhood days. After
graduating with honors from a Polytechnic School in Philadelphia, he went to
Germany where he was enrolled in the University of Freiburg as a student in
mining engineering. After two years' study he was graduated from this Uni-
versity.
In the meantime his parents had moved to Hazleton. Upon his return from
Germany, McKee was employed by the Bckley Coxe Coal Company as mining
engineer. After some years of efficient service with this enterprising Company,
he associated himself with the Lehigh Car, Wheel and Axle Works at PuUerton.
On April 8, 1890, Mr. McKee was married to Miss Ruth Thomas, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. James Thomas. This happy union was blessed with the follow-
ing children: Ruth T., James H., and Mary, all of whom reside at home.
Politically Mr. McKee was a staunch Republican. Socially he affiliated with
the Porter Lodge No. 284, F. and A. M., and was a Grand Master. He was also
a member of Lu Lu Temple, Philadelphia, and of the Catasauqua Club.
D. GEORGE DERY. D. George Dery, one of the most widely known citi-
zens of Catasauqua, has demonstrated that, within the brief span of. a quarter of a
century, a man possessed of integrity, ability and magnanimity, may rise to
lofty heights in the business world. He has had a large part in making the Le-
high Valley a silk manufacturing centre. His skill in the methods of silk
weaving and his organizing powers have placed his name among the leaders in
his field. He is the owner of fourteen ever-growing silk manufacturing plants
and employs more than three thousand workers. Because of his justice and
OP CATASAUQUA 337
liberality iu dealing with his employees, labor troubles have been entirely un-
known.
He was born in Austi'ia and received his college education in Vienna.
Obedient to the wish of his parents he entered the army. In 1887, having become
a Lieutenant, he resigned and came to America.
Before leaving Europe, Mr. Dery had become most skillful in the processes
of silk weaving. Because of his reputaion as an expert, he was given the superin-
tendency of a mill in Paterson, New Jersey. Eealizing the opportunity for the
silk manufacturer, he started, in 1892, a factory in his own name.
A rapidly increasing business demanded other mills. In 1897 he chose Cata-
sauqua as the location of his second mill. About one year later, deciding to make
this place the centre of his business, he moved the Paterson plant and established
his home in this place. Since the building of this plant, the demands for the Dery
Silks have necessitated the erection of thirteen other silk weaving mills and three
large throwing plants. They are located at the following places : Catasauqua,
Pa. ; East Mauch Chunk, Pa. ; AUentown, Pa., Mills A. B. and C. ; Emaus, Pa. ;
Seranton, Pa. ; Bethlehem, Pa., Mills A. and B. ; Marietta, Pa. ; Olyphant, Pa. :
Forest City, Pa. ; Northampton, Pa. ; "Wind Gap, Pa. ; and Taunton, Mass. Among
his other business interests are : Directorship in the Catasauqua National Bank
and in the AUentown National Bank.
Mr. Dery is not only a man of large business and intellectual attainments
but is gifted with a fine and discriminating artistic taste. He has been a zealous
collector of fine artistic productions of paintings ; among them are some of the
works of the old masters, and represent a small fortune in themselves. In his
spacious green house and about his home he has a large variety of plants and
flowers.
He is a member of the Lehigh Country Club, of AUentown ; the Northampton
Country Club ; the Livingston Club of AUentown ; the Manhattan Club of New
York City; the Manufacturers' Club of Philadelphia; and the Elks Fraternity
of AUentown. In these organizations he is a leading member.
DAVID E. GRIFFITH. In David R. Griffith Catasauqua owns a citizen
of whom she may well be proud. He has been in the employment of the Crane
338
THE HISTORY
Iron Company ever since his arrival in this country in September, 1869. He
began as a patternmaker, and was promoted from time to time until
he became the head of the carpenter de-
partment at the furnaces. Mr. Griffith,-
aided by his devoted wife, raised five sons and
two daughters, every one of whom reflects
credit upon the sublimity of a true home and
a God-fearing parentage. Our friend served
twelve years as president of the School Board,
and six years as its treasurer. When the
Welsh people of the town desired preaching of
the Word in their native tongue, and ' ' Mother
Thomas ' ' made it possible for them to have- a
church, Mr. Griffith, who possesses rare, nat-
ural endowments as a public speaker, especial-
ly along sacred lines, studied hard so that by
the fall of 1881 he was ordained at Slatington
as a Congregational clergyman. Since this
time he has waited upon his countrymen with
the Word of Life in a most acceptable manner.
Rev. Griffith was l)orn at Neath, Glamorganshire, South Wales, January 8,
1845, and is the son of John Griffith and his wife, a born Davies. He was edu-
cated in the National Schools of Wales, and was licensed to preach before he was
nineteen years of age. Four years before he emigrated to America, March 25,
1865, he entered into matrimony with Miss Hannah, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John Thomas. The children whom they brought to maturity are : John P., of
Port Henry, N. J.; David, Joseph T., Oliver, and George R., of Catasauqua;
Edith M., wife of Henry Van Middlesworth of Siegfried, Pa. ; and Elizabeth A.,
wife of Elbert Green, of Catasauqua.
HENRY H. BUCK. All the people of true sensibility and a just regard for
the memory of those who 'have departed this life cherish the details of the his-
otries of those whose careers have been marked by uprightness and truth, and
DAVID R. GRIFFITH
OP CATASAUQUA
339
whose lives have been filled with acts of usefulness. Such a man was Henry li.
Buck, one of Catasauqua's best known and most prominent residents.
He was born October 20, 1838, near Danielsville, Northampton County, Pa.,
and died in Catasauqua, November 26, 1913. He M'as a son of Jacob and his wife
Elizabeth (Berlin) Buck. His boyhood days were spent with his parents and
he enjoyed such educational train-
ing as the village school afforded.
A part of his time he spent on the
farm and in early manhood he
learned the wheelwright trade
with Thomas Royer, Cherryville,
Pa.
Early in the sixties he went
to Parryville, Pa., and in 1863, he
enlisted in the Thirty-fourth Regi-
ment, Pennsylvania Volunteers,
under James Thomas, the superin-
tendent of the Carbon Iron Com-
pany at Parryville. Mr. Buck was
also a member of the emergency
corps which participated in the
Battle of Gettysburg. When the
Civil War came to a close, he was
honorably discharged and located
in Catasauqua where he followed
his trade as a wheelwright. He
lived retired for the last eight or ten years of his life.
Mr. Buck was a consistent member of Emmanuel Evangelical Church and
took a deep interest in its welfare. He gave the congregation efficient service
as an elder, trustee, and Sunday School superintendent, which last office he held
for many years.
He was Judge of Election in the Second Ward for many successive terms.
He was a Republican in his political affiliations.
HENRY H. BUCK
;mo
THE HISTORY
He was a citizen of whom any community can well be proud and was held
in high esteem by all who knew him.
Mr. Buck was married September 10, 1867, to Miss Emma Oplinger of
Danielsville. The issue of this happy union was two sons : Abner H., Principal
of the High School, South Bethlehem, Pa. ; and Harry E., an employee of the
(Central Railroad of New Jersey at the local office.
JACOB ROBERTS. Jacob Roberts was born in Marbletown, Ulster Coun-
ty, New York, October 3, 1832, and died in Catasauqua, Pa., November 18, 1905.
He enjoyed such educational advantages as the common schools of his boyhood
days afforded, a few months during the winter. This training was supplemented
by reading standard works on various subjects, chiefly mathematical and
mechanical. Having had a mind that was bent on investigation, he filled it with
facts which he utilized in a practical way in later years.
Like many prominent men of the coun-
try, he taught school for several years, after
which he entered the ranks of mechanical
scientists and spent fifteen years of his life v
in acquiring a practical knowledge of black- i
smithing, carpentering, carriage-building,
painting and machinery. He was engaged for
some years in the carriage-building business,
also indoor blind and sash manufacturing, in
Brooklyn, New York. For a time he was em-
ployed as a mechanical expert and consulting
engineer in the cities of New York and
Brooklyn.
In 1883 he purchased the Hudson River
Rolling Mill at Poughkeepsie and, in company
with Charles MiUer and the Crossman Broth-
ers of New York City, organized the Phoenix
Horseshoe Company and began the manufacture of horse and mule shoes. These
products found a ready market and the business was a success. In August, 1889,
JACOB ROBERTS
i)F CATASAUQUA 341
Mr. Roberts severed his connection with the Phoenix Company and became super-
intendent of the Bryden Horseshoe Works. He came to Catasauqua and took
charge of the Bryden, manufacturing the Boss horse and mule shoes. The
manufacture of these shoes has met with phenomenal success, having found ready
sales in the market of the world. More than once has the Company been obliged
to double the capacity of their works in order to meet the demand of the trade
while Mr. Roberts was superintendent of the Bryden.
September 18, 1855, Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Catherine L. Relyea
of Clintondale, New York, and their married life was blessed with five children,
Mrs. Frances D. Simonson of Newark, N. J., William Roberts of Baston, Pa., Mrs.
Austin A. Glick of town, Eva M. and Ida T., both of whom died in infancy.
Mr. Roberts was a devoted member of Grace M. E. Church and one of its
most liberal contributors. He was a man of commanding presence and fine social
qualities. It was always a pleasure to meet him. He possessed to a marked de-
gree the faculty of making a person feel at ease in his presence.
RICHARD 0. KOHLER. Richard 0. Kohler was born in Chemnitz, Ger-
many, Octol)er 27, 1872, and died October 30, 1913. He was educated in the
schools of his native town. These afforded him great educational advantages by
which he profited to such an extent, that, when he started in life for himself, he
was intellectually well equipped for the vocation of his own selection, that of
a business career. In June, 1893, Mr. Kohler came to America and found em-
ployment as clerk in the Unicorn Silk Mill. He suliseciuently engaged with the
Bryden Horse Shoe Company, and for several years he was general manager
of the Catasauqua Casting Company. For a short period he acted as general
sales agent of the Lehigh Clutch Company and traveled extensively in locating
their sales. He and his family spent three summer months preceding his death
in traveling in Europe and in visiting his brother, who resides in Chemnitz.
Mr. Kohler was married October 31, 1902, to Miss Grace Williams and
their home was graced with an only daughter, Anna H. He was a prominent
official of the Trinity Bv. Lutheran Church and a member of Porter Lodge No.
284 F. and A. M., and of the Catasauqua Club. Mr. Kohler enjoyed the esteem
and confidence of an extended circle of social and business acquaintances.
342
THE HISTORY
HENRY J. SEAMAN. The pioneer of the Seaman family in this country
came from an English stock and located on Statan Island, N. Y., at some time
ante dating the Revolutionary "War. The father of our townsman was Henry J.
Seaman. His mother, Maria A., a daughter of Charles Augustus Luekenbach,
was a descendant of an old Moravian family. Mr. Luekenbach was an organizer
and the first president of the Thomas Iron Company, and an early director of the
Bank of Catasauqua.
Henry J. Seaman, the subject of our
sketch, was born in Trinity County, Cali-
fornia. When he was past three years of
age his parents came to Bethlehem, where he
attended the Moravian Parochial School. He
took a course in Chemistry at Lehigh Uni-
versity and was graduated in 1879, when he
went to the mining district of Leadville, Col-
orado, where he served as chemist of a large
Smelting Company. On account of severe ill-
ness he returned home in December of the
same year. In February, 1880, he succeeded
James Gayley as chemist at the Crane Iron
Works. He was promoted to Furnace Mana-
ger, January, 1886. In June, 1889, he accept-
ed the position of Superintendent of the Car-
bon Iron and Steel Company at Parryville,
Pa. In February, 1892, he became Superintendent of the Atlas Cement Company,
which was in process of organization.
At a later date he was elected to the position of General Superintendent of the
Atlas Portland Cement Company, of which he has been a director since its
organization. He was largely instrumental in perfecting the rotary process of
manufacturing Portland Cement, and invented and commercialized a process of
burning pulverized fuel, now used almost exclusively in the manufacture of Port-
land Cement.
HENRY J. SEAMAN
OP CATASAUQUA 343
Mr. Seaman is Vice-President and General Superintendent of the New York
and New England Cement and Lime Company, and a director of the National
Bank of Catasauqua. He holds membership in: The Engineers' Club, of New
York ; The Railroad Club, of New York ; The Livingstone Club, Allentown, Pa. ;
The Lehigh Country Club, Rittersville, Pa. ; The American Institute of Mining
Engineers ; The American Society for Testing Materials ; and The American Con-
crete Institute.
He entered into matrimony with Miss Minnie Boyer, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Reuben Boyer, in 1885. Their children are: Louise, wife of Paul Miller,
and Harry J., both of Catasauqua.
GEORGE E. HOLTON. George E. Holton was born in London, England,
April 24, 1868, son of George and Hope Mary Holton, and died February 10,
1913. He was educated in the schools of Norwood and London, England. He
came to America in 1886 and was naturalized in the early 90 's.
Mr. Holton entered the employ of the Pencoyd Iron Works. In 1889 he be-
came inspector for G. W. 6. Ferris & Co. of Pittsburg, in the eastern territory,
and had charge of the inspection and testing of the cast iron segments used in
the construction of the first tunnel under the Hudson River, now known as the
Hoboken Tumiel, originally undertaken by Pearson & Co. of London, England.
His abilities as an iron expert was easily recognized by the late Oliver Williams,
the president of the Bryden Horse Shoe Co., who employed him as a salesman for
the company. Mr. Holton established sales agencies in all parts of the country
and secured large orders for them. During stagnation in the American market, he
secured large orders from England in competition with English manufacturers
during the English-Boer War in Africa, and thus kept the local works steadily
employed.
Upon the death of Mr. Williams, he succeeded him as president of that
Company and general manager of the Works. At the time of his death, he was
president and treasurer of the Bryden, president and treasurer of Emanuel &
Company, a director of the National Bank of Catasauqua and a director of the
Cementon National Bank of Siegfried.
Mr. Holton was married to Miss Jessica Williams, youngest daughter of
344
THE HISTORY
Oliver Williams, and the issue of a happy union is a son Oliver, and two daugh-
ters, Catherine and Jessica.
Mr. Holton was a member of Town Council from the Second Ward; a
member of the Catasauqua Club; vice-president of the Lehigh Country Club;
vice-president of the Lehigh Valley Symphony Society ; a member of the North-
ampton Club, Bethlehem; Livingston Club, Allentown; Bryden Gun Club;
Engineer's Club, New York City. He was a member of Trinity Ev. Lutheran
Church. In all of these organizations he took a prominent part and is greatly
missed.
Mr. Holton was a man of splendid executive ability, personal magnetism,
pleasant address, greatly attached to his home and friends. He enjoyed the con-
fidence and esteem of his employees as well as of all who knew him.
LEONARD PECKITT. A citizen who
is wide awake and truly interested in the weL
fare of the community which he has chosen as
his home, is Leonard Peckitt. He is the son
of Leonard F. Peckitt and his wife. Prances, a
born Quickfall. He was born at Carlton Hall,
Yorkshire, England, April 17, 1860, and was
given his early training by a private tutor.
Later he matriculated at the Masham Gram-
mar School, which was followed by a four
years' course in Chemistry under Prof. W. P.
Stock, County Analyst of Darlington.
He came to America in 1882 and accept-
ed a position as chemist at the Reading Iron
Works, where he remained six years. Por two
years he was chief chemist at the Crane Iron
Works, and, since 1890, he was successively
Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, General Manager, Vice-President,
and President of the Crane Iron Company. In 1899, Mr. Peckitt took an active
part in the formation of the Empire Steel' and Iron Company, which took over
LEONARDi PECKITT
OP OATASAUQUA 345
the Crane Iron Works and other properties in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsyl-
vania. He was the first President of the Company and is still serving in this
capacity.
The interests of Mr. Peckitt are large and varied arid his judgments, being
well matured, are constantly solicited. Pie is related as follows: Director,
National Bank of Catasauqua; Vice-President and Director, Pottstown In'.n
Company; Director, Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad; President and Direc-
tor, Victoria Coal and Coke Co., Capetton, W. Va. ; President and Director,
Crane Railroad Co. ; President and Director, Davies and Thomas Company ; Vice-
President, Mt. Hope Mineral Railroad Co., Wharton, N. J. ; Director, Bi'vden
Horse Shoe Company; Director, Consolidated Telephone Co. of Pa., Hazletou,
Pa. ; Trustee, St. Luke 's Hospital, So. Bethlehem, Pa. ; Trustee, appointed by
Gov. Tener, Homeopathic State Hospital for the Insane, Rittersville, Pa. ; Fellow
of Chemical Society of London, England ; Member of the Iron and Steel Insti-
tute of Great Britain ; Member of the American Iron and Steel Institute ; Mem-
ber of the American Institute of Mining Engineers; Vice-President, Lehigh
Country Club, Rittersville, Pa. ; President, Old Home Week Association, Cata-
sauqua, Pa.
Mr. Peckitt entered into matrimony with Miss Hattie Madeline, daughter of
Emanuel Weidler and wife of Stony Creek, near Reading, Pa., in 1899. Theii-
son, Leonard Carlton, is now in Arizona.
MRS. ELLEN CAROLINE GILBERT. At the time of her death, but fif-
teen days before the beginning of the Old Home Week Celebration, Mrs. Ellen
Caroline Gilbert was the oldest native resident of Catasauqua. She was born in
the lower section of the town when it was called Biery 's-Port, January 25, 1831.
Her father, Daniel Tombler, was a native of Hope, N. J., while her mother,
Catherine, nee Hartzell, was born at Wind Gap, Pa. These parents moved to
Biery 's-Port in 1821. Mr. Tombler conducted the old mill that stood on the site
of the present Mauser & Cressman property, and for twenty -three years collected
toll at Biery 's Bridge. During the re-erection of the bridge, destroyed by the
flood of 1841, Mr. Tombler met with an accident which resulted in his death.
In the days of Ellen's childhood all the children of the Burg attended
346
THE HISTORY
Deily 's School located near . the old Taylor residence. Mrs. Gilbert also at-
tended the old Presbyterian Church on Church
Street, in whose Sunday School Allie Thomas, daugh-
ter of David Thomas, was her teacher. Sylvester
Tombler, now of Allentown, is the only surviving
member of that family of ten children.
She was married by Rev. Eberhard February
6, 1855, to Edwin Gilbert. Edwin Gilbert was also a
native of town ; and, during the Civil War served his
country as Captain of Company F., Forty-seventh
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He died, Jan-
uary 2, 1894, as a member of St. John's U. E. Church
to which the family belonged.
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert,
of whom the following survive: David W., of Cata-
sauqua; Alice C, wife of Sylvester Minnich of Allentown, Pa.; Edwin D., of
Philadelphia, Pa.; Euphemia, widow of Wm. Ritter of Catasauqua; Ellen C,
who lives with her brother David.
Mrs. Ellen Caroline Gilbert
OF CATASAUQUA 347
CHAPTER XII.— REMINISCENCES-
Conditions have changed since the balmy days of long ago. In 1853, while
David Thomas was Burgess, an ordinance to this eiifect was deemed necessary,
"No person shall erect any hog pen on that part of any lot within the Borough
adjoining any street or alley thereof without enclosing and separating the same
from the street, by a close fence of boards, at least seven feet high." Hogs, as
of the suilline genus, were banished altogether by Council, June 13, 1893, while
hogs as genus porci are still admitted.
In 1853 it was also declared that the sale of cakes and beer, strong drinks,
cordials or cider, on any "public day" in any of the public streets of the Bor-
ough, was a nuisance and punishable by fine.
The Ordinance from which we are quoting also sets forth that, ' ' If any per-
son or persons shall travel on horseback or in a vehicle faster than at the rate of
six miles an hour through any of the streets, lanes or alleys of this Borough,
every person or persons so offending shall forfeit and pay one dollar fine. ' '
Town Council passed an Ordinance under Burgess John W. Hopkins, August
6, 1888, declaring that there "shall be a Public Street Market on the south side of
Bridge Street, from Front to Second Streets, between the hours of four and
eight o'clock A. M., every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each and every
week during the months" of April to October, inclusive. The Chief of Police
was constituted Market Master, and was directed to collect ten cents per day from
every ' ' wagon, hand-cart or vehicle ' ' from which produce was sold, and five cents
per day from a person who brought produce in a basket which he carried.
Children were exempted from making payments. It was unlawful to buy or sell
any produce except meat, milk, ice,- and bread in any part of the town during
market hours on market days, except at the established markets.
Crane Iron Works, Dec. 11th, 1839.
Mr. David Bowen, Aberdare, South Wales, England.
My Dear Friend: — I have taken my pen in hand to write you a few lines
348 THE HISTORY
from this wide western hemisphere. I am in perfect health and good spirits and
all my family are the same who join me in hoping this brief letter will find
you and your family also enjoying good health and happiness. I suffered much
on the voyage and after I came here from sickness, which you no doubt have
heard ; but my health and strength have now recovered amazingly, and I am now
flattered by those who knew me before that I look better than I did some years
ago.
We have been treated here with much- kindness. My employers have done
everything in their power for my comfort ; they have built me a very good house,
with garden and every convenience that one could wish, and I have reason to be-
lieve they are satisfied with me. I have under my care about 100 men with proper
foremen to look after every department; I give the orders and pay them.
We live in a very fertile country where every sort of grain, vegetable and
fruit is very abundantly grown. The climate is very healthy; and the weather
has been hitherto very good. The people are hospitable and kind, chiefly from
German origin. There is much of that language spoken here, which I am learn-
ing very fast. The children can talk it better than I can.
Places of worship and schools are' numerous. Many denominations are sup-
ported by voluntary contributions ; the schools by a tax, every State appropriat-
ing so many thousand dollars for the use of schools. There is one built in my
neighborhood where every one can educate his children for almost nothing, to any
branch of science or literature.
The government is Democratic, and chiefly in the hands of the most numer-
able part of the community, which in my opinion is the worst part of their
policy, and the most likely to injure the permanent progress of America. Your
radicals, with riotous chartists, I think would have enough of universal suffrage
only for them to witness the abuse of that suffrage as applied here. I have seen
with regret the riotous affair of the chartists at Newport, and I am afraid from
the appearance of the English newspapers that you are going to have more of it.
The population of this district is not very thin. It is peopled as thickly as
Carmarthenshire. The towns are six to ten miles from one another and some of
them have from 3,000 to 12,000 people. Philadelphia is 54 miles and New York
93 miles, to either of which places we can go from here in one day. Traveling
here is very expeditious, as there are canals and railroads in every direction.
The town nearest to us is Allentown which is three miles from our works.
The natural resources of this country are numerous. All sorts of minerals '
are very abundant; provisions are very cheap, in fact, everything for the use of
man is very moderate except woolen cloths, which are about double of those
bought in England. Calico and cotton prints are as cheap here as you can get
them there, and cotton goods of every sort are very cheap.
I do not think the cattle in this country are as good as in the old country;
liut horses are equally as good, if not better generally. Pigs are very cheap and
abundant. Pork is very cheap, selling in the market at 9 shillings 1 pence per
cwt. and the best bacon fed upon Indian corn (which is very plentiful here) for
12 shillings 6 pence per cwt. of your currency ; best flour is $5.50 per barrel or
550 half pence of your currency, weighing 196 pounds. I had a barrel last week
which makes bread pretty nearly as white as this sheet of paper I am writing
upon; good black tea 1 shilling 6 pence to 7 s,hillings 6 pence per pound; coffee,
best, 15 shillings, % pence, but very good for 4 shillings % pence per pound;
loaf sugar is 7 pence, if good season, 6l^ pence ; burnt sugar for 3I/2 pence to 5
OF CATASAUQUA 349
pence per pound of your currency ; and indeed everything in that way is very
cheap.
The people here only eat three meals a day ; breakfast at 6 in the morning,
dinner at 12, and supper or tea at 6 in the evening. They have plenty of meat on
the table for each meal vs'hatever house you go into. All classes eat very much
alike and about the same times.
Poverty is rarely known here except among the intemperate or idle. Old
people, widows and orphans are very well taken care of. The law of the land is
very lenient to the actual poor, but very much otherwise to impostors. I have
only seen three people begging, two of them Irish and one a German.
Since the time I left, is there any fresh duty? They do not know what
duty is here, only on goods imported. The farmers in this country are usually
free-holders. There is not one farmer out of a hundred but what lives on his own
land, and they are generally very wealthy. Manufacturers are increasing very
fast here; they are short of hands and capital, both increasing very fast. We
have had some very bad times this autumn in the money market, but it is improv-
ing again very fast.
In about three weeks from this time our furnace will have fire in it. We are
going to build another in the spring.
John Thomas is here and he is a good boy, very strong and industrious. He
sends his best regards to his mother.
Please address your letter to David Thomas, Crane Iron Works, near Allen-
town, Lehigh Co., Pa.
I am, my dear old friend,
Your sincere old friend,
DAVID THOMAS.
Some day, long ago, Morgan Emanuel heard that a countryman by the
name of David Thomas was running the Crane Works at Catasauqua, and so he
determined to come to town in quest of a job. When he walked down Front
Street he met Mr. Thomas some where near Lawall's Drug Store and accosted
him in Welsh, "Are you Mr. Thomas?" Mr. Thomas replied, "Yes, and who
are you?" "I am Morgan Einanuel and came from the coal regions, in the hope
that you would give me a job. ' ' Mr. Thomas said, " I am sorry, my friend, but
we do not have much work at present." "Oh, that is all right, I do not need
much work. ' ' Upon this rejoinder Mr. Thomas employed him at once.
A few years ago, when steam vapor or hot water heating systems were rap-
idly supplanting antiquated methods in use, a contractor in his line as steam
fitter called upon a certain clergyman in town to interview him with reference
to the introduction of a steam heating plant in his church. The contractor asked,
"What do you have in your church?" The parson said, "Hot air."
This reminds us of gas-bags. Catasauqua has always produced a great deal
350 THE HISTORY
of gas, as is especially noticeable on sultry days. The top fillers at the furnaces
have always had some wood aglow by which escaping gas was quickly ignited
and consumed and thus prevented from doing any harm. In this we have a good
object lesson: when gas escapes ignite it. There was a time, however, when' gas
was bought, first in Philadelphia, and later in Bethlehem, and shipped to Cata-
sauqua in bags for use in the Bridge Street Presbyterian Church. The bags
were attached to a pipe system in the church and weighted so as to give proper
pressure to the flame. This was done from the time the original church edifice
on Bridge Street was completed in 1852 and continued until the Catasauqua
Gas Plant was put in operation in 1856. Dr. Danowsky and Nathan Lauden-
schlager also filled bags with gas at their plant near the old Lehigh Valley depot
at Allentown and sold them for the illumination of private homes and public
buildings.
Miss Esther Pritchard Hudders was one of the prominent landmarks of
the village. She was of New England origin, born in Susquehanna County —
her ancestors coming from Wales. She was a woman of education ad an expert
with the needle. She taught school in the church basement and on two days
of the week gave sewing lessons to the girls. Every woman with daughters was
a patron of Miss Hudders and the latter, with that calm and dignified manner,
would cut a big apple pie for her pupils as willingly as she would a switch from
the limb on which the apple had grown. For many years Mrs. Hudders lived
at Second and Pine, the home erected by her husband shortly after the town
became a borough. The house was always a favorite one for the younger element
to congregate in.
The Rev. John, Jones left a family of exceptional children, gifted in mental
endowment and full of the tricks of healthy youth. A daughter Maggie spent
much time under the training of Rebecca Mickley Thomas. A circus came to the
outskirts of the village and Maggie wanted to go. Mrs. Thomas refused unless
she went in the company of a grown person. At noon, a chaperon had not been
found and Maggie disappeared leaving the dinner dishes untouched. Nightfall
came and the search began. With the last vestige of daylight. Miss Margaret
Jones was discovered sitting close to the old church bell, high up in the fork
OF CATASAUQUA 351
of the big oak tree on Church Street. It took some persuasion to make the
climber come down and she washed no dishes that day. The entire village was
out on scout, the crowd at the circus had undergone a sharp inspection, but
when the next big circus came to AUentown, Mrs. Thomas saw that Miss Mar-
garet Jones, daughter of the deceased Welsh divine, was on one of the best seats
in the ring.
George Breinig, the father of our late townsman, Simon Breinig, was a
shrewd financier. He managed to secure a farm for each of his children as
rapidly as they married and started life for themselves. In public he usually
wore a silk hat, a pair of calf-skin boots, and while one leg of his trousers was
down the other was drawn up and hung over one ear of his boot. On a certain
occasion he heard that a farm in the direction of Guthsville was to be sold at
auction. Mr. Breinig went to the sale and offered the highest bid for the farm.
The auctioneer and some gentlemen at the sale gazed at the man with blank
amazement. Finally he was asked whether he could pay for the farm or bring
security for the price. Mr. Breinig said, "I own several farms in Northampton
County which are paid for, and I think I could pay for this, but since you
hesitate I shall go home and you may keep your farm." After some imiuiry it
was learnt that Mr. Breinig 's statement was correct. Then they came and begged
him to take the farm at his bid by which he had offered a good price. After
some persuasion Mr. Breinig took the farm.
Arthur W. Hamilton related that matches were first used in England in
1680; that they were sold in small boxes containing about three dozen, for 15
shillings each, or $3.65 in U. S. money. Matches were made in Paris in 1805.
Pocket matches were made by John Walker, an English druggist, who sold
eighty-four for a shilling. When Frederick Eberhard settled at Dry Run in
1832, very few people knew anything of the luxury of a match.
The most inflammable substance commonly known was punk. In every home
was found a piece of flint rock, a piece of steel, and some punk. To start a fire
the dry punk was laid down and the steel and the fire stone struck together in
such a manner as to east the sparks upon the punk. At times sparking was re-
352 THE HISTORY
quired until one's elbows tired before the punk caught. People used to cover
the last glowing embers of their fires at night very carefully with ashes in order
to keep them alive and have a start for the next day. If, perchance, the fire
was found to be out in the morning (great misfortune) and Mary was awkward
with striking sparks, she would take a crock and quickly run to the neighbors
a half mile across the fields to borrow some fire as kindling for the breakfast
blaze. Often the crock would get so hot before she reached home that she burnt
her fingers.
Mr. Eberhard dried small squares of pine wood and, with a knife, split
them open in cross cuts about one-eighth of an inch apart, each way, so that the
block looked like a checker board. To keep the ends apart he laid slivers both
ways between the rows. Then he dipped the slivered ends of the blocks into
sulphur and phosphorus by which process he made the first sulphur matches
used in this community. He sold them in the block to the merchants at Weavers-
ville, Siegfrieds, Laubachs, Catasauqua, and AUentown.
The employees of the Crane Iron Company, for whom houses had been
built on "Wood and Church Streets, formed a type of community life which was
beautiful so long as a homogeneous people occupied those homes. Besides a
common pump on Front Street, there were two old fashioned bake ovens, one
on each street named, devoted to the use of the community. The individual in
charge of the oven heated it by split wood every day from Monday morning
until Saturday evening. At a given hour of each day the ashes were drawn
and the ovens wiped clean with a "Huddle-lumpen." Then the busy house-
keepers would hasten thither with well raised loaves of bread in straw baskets,
with cakes, pies, etc. The dough loaves were dumped out of the baskets upon a
large wooden paddle with a long handle, " Backoffen-schieszer, " by which they
were placed with great skill into the oven. That was mother's bread indeed!
A half hour later the whole community was fragrant with the breath of freshly
baked goodies. When a cake fell it was, of course, the oven's fault.
We often hear of the strict school discipline of former years and sometimes
of the laxity of it in public schools of the present day. On the 17th of March,
OF CATASAUQUA 353
1869, a great parade of Irishmen from the entire valley appeared on our streets.
The Stars and Stripes headed the column, then in its wake, the flag of Erin in
festive furl, with silk hats and green ribbons galore. Brass bands alternated
"Yankee Doodle" with "Wearing of the Green," and shamrocks and shillelahs
flourished in peaceful force. A greater than Barney McNulty played the fife
and long columns of men kept soldier step to the beat of the drum, while along
the line came the clear echoes of the Scottish bag-pipes. The High School, deep
in the mathematical problems of "Brooks," heard the call of the heather, the
toot of the horn and the beat of the drum, then the trampling of horses and the
tread of marching hosts— and out of the double doors of the Upper Second Street
building poured the ' ' well-disciplined ' ' boys and girls of that Catasauqua High
School. Two teachers sat helpless at the desk. The ringleaders near the door
had ventured and pell-mell after them, like a flock of sheep, went every pupil
of the school. It was ten o'clock on that early spring morn and at the after-
noon session each desk had its usual occupant. "What punishment could be meted
out to this illustration of the power of the mass against the elect? And some
of the leaders were girls who took to the banisters and rode down the stairs
to make time, those not being the days of the limited skirt.
During the winter of 1855 and 1856 a number of young people of town
organized a Dramatic Club. Meetings and rehearsals were held in the Bridge
Street scljool house. After the parts had been well worked out, nights for the
exhibition were appointed. Thomas Jones and Samuel Davis were the curtain
boys. Mrs. Kate Fuller, Mrs. Mary A. Thomas, and Mrs. Dr. Daniel Yoder
impersonated some of the chief characters in the play. William R. Thomas was
stage manager. The Rev. Dr. Earle and David Thomas looked upon the hilarity
with suspicion and attempted to stop or prevent the performance from coming
off. But their efforts helped the thing along, and crowded houses greeted the
amateurs whose performance was a great success.
The wife of the late Dr. Frederick W. Quig, who was for over sixty-three
years a member of the Bridge Street Presbyterian Church and in her girlhood
of the Mauch Chunk Presbyterian Church, often related how in the primitive
354 THE HISTORY
days of "Bierysport" the Presbyterians of the "Old School" doctrine held
service in Kurtz's grove. The grass was raked clean the day before and at three
o'clock on Sunday afternoon, Rev. Leslie Irwin cantered in from the Bath
Settlement. His members, some twenty odd, carried wooden stools, hymn books
and Bibles. A tuning fork set the pitch and long metre was the favorite tune.
In this day of cant and question and religious sensations, it is a relief to pause
a moment and contemplate such old-time worship.
George, the son of Jacob Deily, served his father on his large farms for
fifteen years after he reached his majority. The father sold his potatoes to people
of town and among them a number of bushels to David Thomas. His constant
admonition to the boys was, "Be sure you give good measure." When George
reached the Thomas home with the number of bushels ordered, Mrs. Thomas
insisted that not a potato be put into her cellar until all the bags be emptied
and the potatoes remeasured. George explained that the potatoes were measured
at home, good measure was given and that he did not have a half-bushel measure
with him. But Mother Thomas insisted upon her demand. By this time George
grew earnest and said, "I will go home to fetch the measure, and will measure
your assignment on condition that you pay extra for what is over the amount
at which we intend to give you this load." Mrs. Thomas agreed to this. After
the load was measured Mother Thomas paid for three pecks, of potatoes more
than for which Mr. Deily meant to charge her. Mr. Thomas tantalized his
madam quite a bit about good measure in potatoes.
Levi Kraft, a tinsmith who worked for C. G. Schneller, and Horatio Good
from up the valley, went to Mauch Chunk, where they joined their company
designated for the Mexican War. The company proceeded to Wilkes-Barre,
whence they were transported by canal to Harrisburg, by rail to Pittsburgh and
by river-steamer to New Orleans. Both these men lived to return, wearing the
peculiar uniforms pi that day, with coal-scuttle shaped caps decorated with
metal chains. Kraft served three years (1861-1864) in the 47th Pennsylvania
Volunteer Regulars, and died a few years ago in the Soldiers' Home at Dayton,
Ohio. Good went to California where he was killed by the Indians.
OP CATASAUQUA 355
After the Mexican War others returned to their homes at Alleutown. John
Kuhn, however, was missing. A year later he returned ; but the cruel severities
of the Mexican Prisons caused him to become insane. He found a home in the
Lehigh County Poor House. For twenty-five years he made his annual summer
visits to Allentown and Catasauqua in his old uniform with his hat bedecked
with flowers and a cavalry sword swinging at his side as he marched along.
People generally knew him as "Mexico John," and no one ever thought of
molesting him, but rather showed him respect and encouraged him in his inno-
cent amusement.
Very few Indian relics have been found in the vicinity of Catasauqua.
During the construction of the Lehigh Valley R. R. a skull, surrounded by
boards, pipes, Indian tools, etc., was found a short distance below the station.
Many arrow heads of flint were found opposite the mouth of the Coplay creek,
while the canal was being dug, showing that the Indians had a sort of factory
for arrow heads at the spring that empties into the river at this point. Shortly
before his death in 1866, Joseph Miller related to William H. G-lace, Esq., that
he heard his grandfather say that there was an Indian burying ground on the
lowlands ; that the elder Miller, who lived in the old stone house above the
Cemetery gates, on the road to Hokendauqua, peering through the heavy under-
brush at different times, saw parties of Indians bury their dead on the low-
lands.
The following important item is quoted from the recent publication of
William H. Glace, Esq. :
Gentlemen: — I am from good authority informed that the enemy Indians
have attacked the Frontiers in Northampton county and that intelligence has
been given to an officer of credit by a Friend Indian that a considerable body
of French and their Indians design again to invade the Province and a number
are on their way to fall afresh on the Minnisinks or parts adjacent. The par-
ticular view of the Ohio Indians at this time, as it is reasonably supposed, is
to obstruct the Susquehanna Indians in their treaty with the English and to
prevent thereby a well-established peace between them.
How the forces, within the battalion I have the honour to command, may
be disposed of, upon the expected incursion of the savages and the French who
prompt them with a cruelty equal to that of the barbarians, I cannot say ; but
you may depend on it that I shall ever endeavor to serve the country by doing
all in my power to succour every distressed part as soon as possible.
356 THE HISTORY
But, gentlemen, you must know that the number of forts which are on
the east side of the Susquehanna will require a very large part of the First
Battalion to garrison them and to allow of scouting parties to watch the motions
of the barbarians. It will therefore be necessary that the inhabitants should
do all in their power to defend themselves and neighbors against an enemy whom
we know by experience to strike great terror wherever they commit their ravages.
I recommend it to you to persuade your neighbors to associate themselves
immediately into companies under discreet officers of their own choice, that we
may be able to preserve our own and the lives of our tender wives and children.
Great must be the advantage we shall give the enemey if we are unprepared
upon their sudden invasion.
It needs not much reflection upon what happened about 16 months ago
to bring to your minds the amazement and confusion with which the spirits of
our people were affected upon a sudden incursion of Indians of whose numbers
we were never well informed. It would appear as if I had an ill opinion of
the disposition of my countrymen to suggest any special motives upon this
occasion.
I only pray that Divine Providence may direct you to proper measure and
then you can not fail of success in an endeavor to serve your country. In which
service you may depend on my promise that you will be ever joined by
Your most humble servant,
Conrad Weiser, L. Col.
Attest: Wm. Parsons.
Reading, April 27th, 1757.
George Charles is a family name among the Schnellers, whose progenitor
in Germany was George Charles Schneller, a native of Dresden. As a youth
he went to Herrnhut, Saxony, and studied theology. Later he came to Fairfield,
England, where he was married to Miss Hannah Meller. From Fairfield he
was sent as a missionary to the Isle of St. Kitts, one of the West Indies. The
Islands being an undesirable place to educate their children, they sent their
sons, George Charles and David, and their daughter, Rachel, to the Moravian
schools at Nazareth and Bethlehem. The George Charles at the Nazareth school
was the great-grandfather of our townsman Charles G. Schneller. It will be
refreshing to read the appended letter of the father to his son. This letter is
but a sample of many similar epistles written in the name of the Lord, by parents
and friends to loved ones.
St. Kitts, March 27, 1807.
Dear and beloved Son, —
We, your parents, hope you are well. It is a long time indeed since you
sent us a letter. We do often, not only think, but speak of you. Brother Lan-
caster calls you the little Englishman. He loves you, and out of love has sent
OP CATASAUQUA
357
to yoii the present of half a guinea which, before this comes to you, undoubtedly
you will have received.
On your birthday we considered both the Watch- Word and tlie text for that
day, and prayed our dear Saviour to give to you a cheerful, a willing and obedi-
ent heart to love Him, for lie will never leave you nor forsake you, doubt it not.
Give our kind salutation to your Master and Mistresses, to your Labourers,
yea to all the Christian Brethren and Sisters.
We expect soon to receive a letter from you. When you see your brother
David give him two kisses : one from me, one from his mother ; and salute your
sister, Rachel.
We remain your poor yet tender affectionate parents,
George Charles and Hannah Schneller.
CHARLES G. SCHNELLER. ONE OF CATASAUQUA'S EARLY SETTLER
The first excursion to Biery's Port was on an "Ark" run from Alleutown,
June 26 1829. Ogden B. Frederick relates with warm enthusiasm the narrative
of his mother-in-law, Mrs. James W. Fuller, who was a member of that merry
party. She was then a child, Clarissa Miller, eleven years old. She told of
358 THE HISTORV
how the "Ark" was decorated with U. S. flags, how crowded it was and that
it was drawn by two horses. The scenery along the water course in those days
was truly rustic ; and in the month of June must have breathed upon the quiet
air a sweetness unalloyed by the many gases that now stain its borders and
fade its foliage.
The day on which the first train arrived at Catasauqua on the L. V. R. R.,
July 4, 1855, brought great excitement to the stately community of the Iron
Burg. There was then a beautiful rustic park along the east bank of the Lehigh,
where we now behold the picturesque cinder tip. A cannon was stationed in the
park ready to fire when the train rounded the curve above FuUerton. All the
people of town flocked to the park in their best Sunday bonnets and gowns.
When at last the engine came snorting around the bend to which all expectant
eyes were directed, the deafening roar of the cannon shocked every nerve. After
the train had stopped and the magnates, barons and other great men alighted
and formed a procession toward the Eagle Hotel for the banquet, a shrill call
of the furnace whistles of Hokendauqua announced that a fire had broken out
at that plant. The crowd promptly swung its gaze and directed its hastened
steps towaxd Hokendauqua. In the rush for positions on the barges two of
them were over-loaded and, when about mid-stream on the Hokendauqua dam,
one of them tipped so as to slide a number of people overboard. Although no
one got water into his lungs, the principals of the tragedy lost all their starch.
The blaze shot up the hoisting shaft and destroyed the buckets and rigging.
When Mr. Thomas looked upon the conflagration he dolefully said, "Now we
are ruined."
Let it be said, however, that those old boys were an ingenious set. They
ran a bannister over the steps leading to the cab of the top-filler and by means
of a rope and pulleys worked by a horse hoisted buckets to fill the furnace.
A local sport of the original Fire Company of the Borough was the Water
Fight. One part of men played the hose attached to a plug supplied by the
furnace pump upon their fellows, who returned a stream from the old hand
fire engine. The engineer at the furnace regulated the pressure so as to give
OP CATASAUQUA 359
the hand engine men a vantage from time to time. The fighting parties swayed
forward and back until at last one or the other party, drenched and exhausted,
yielded to their victors and cried "Enough." The onlooking crowds shouted
with laughter and applauded while the men were struggling in the combat. Thus
the water-fight Saturday became a great day of sport.
It is quite natural to suppose that the Iron Works attracted visitors from
near and far. Prominent among the visitors of the past were Sir Morton Peto,
Simon Cameron, Horace Greeley, and Dom Pedro, Emperor of Brazil. The
bridge-house was repeatedly crowded with people. It was the custom of the
villagers to come out at eventide to see the men cast pig-iron.
When the girls of the Moravian Seminary were brought for their annual
inspection of the works, those young men who were detailed to escort them
through the plant were deemed lucky. They never forgot to take the sweet
lassies by the water-house and the horizontal cylinders, driven by water power,
which lifted ponderous doors and dropped them with a bang and a splash which
caused the ladies to shriek and jump into the expectant arms of the young men
who lead them safely on.
Oh, sentiment so sweet,
Thy charm can never cease!
Two interesting curios were placed beside the laboratory of the Crane
Company on Front Street in 1907. They look like the mouths of two projecting
cannon. They are discarded tuyers of the furnaces. A tuyer is a tube through
which hot-blast is forced. The one next the street did service in the first furnace
erected by the company.
Relative to the flood of 1841 we quote from the records of the Crane Com-
pany, "On Thursday, January 7th, at nine o'clock in the evening, the river
rose so that the back water prevented the wheel from turning at half after ten
covering the tow-path of the level above lock 36. At twelve it was two feet over
the banks, and was one foot over the bottom of the hearth of the furnace. At
1.20 the water was at its height, and 34 inches in the furnace. It was at its
height until 3.30 o'clock when the river began to fall. The water wheel was
360 THE HISTORY
muddied all over and the water was nine inches over its top. The dam and
canal bank was broken so that when the water fell in the river it was too
low to turn the wheel though every effort was made to fill up the bank, but they
could not succeed and were obliged to throw the furnace out on Monday, the
11th of January.
David Thomas,
Thomas S. Young."
The furnace was blown in again on May 18, 1841.
The flood of June 4 to 5, 1862, caused the water to rise from twenty-four
to twenty-seven feet above its ordinary level, or four and one-half feet higher
than the flood of 1841. Bridges, buildings of all descriptions, canal boats, tim-
ber, trees, and household furniture floated down the river. Miraculous escapes,
and rescues were made. Uriah P. Koehler, at the risk of his own life, rescued
the Hockenberger family : Dr. William A., his wife, and sons William, Joseph
and Henry. He ventured into the water on horse back and brought his neighbors
from the house at the lock to the old Koehler school house, where they lived until
their home was habitable again. On the last trip the horse swam to shore. The
roar of the onrushing current was terrible; it could be heard for miles around.
And the agonizing shrieks of many victims on logs and floating buildings can
still be heard in the memory of our old people.
For a number of years a corn-whiskey distillery stood where the blacksmith
shop of the Davies and Thomas Foundry is located. This afforded the farmers
of the community a good market for their corn, and a very desirable place for
hog feeding. Farmers marked their pigs and brought them to the distillery
where they were fattened and when they were fit for the slaughter they were
brought home and the happy butchering day began. During the fall and winter
seasons there were as many as a thousand hogs in the pens at the distillery
at one time. This is why some years ago the unkind nickname of "Hogtown"
was given to the Third Ward. At one time cholera broke out among the hogs,
and they died like flies. Their carcasses were hauled to an old ore mine shaft
near Schoenersville. Exorbitant taxation and growing restrictions caused the
proprietors to desist from distilling any more "Bolinky;" the hog yards were
OP CATASAUQUA 361
turned into lumber yards by John Knauss, Who also ran a planing mill. After
this plant was burnt to the ground, Daniel Davies acquired it for foundry
purposes.
When Mrs. Wells became organist in the First Presbyterian Church, in 1870,
a Choral Society was formed and the first attempt to render classical music
in Catasauqua was made. James Prescott succeeded Mrs. Wells in 1876 and
developed the society to such a degree that people from all over the Lehigh
Valley journeyed to Catasauqua to hear concerts that were worth while. The
Iron Borough still enjoys a lofty distinction for good taste and great skill in the
rendition of high class music. The only noticeable feature to-day is the fact that
many places once proudly held by the Welsh and the Irish are now meekly occu-
pied by the Germans.
Solomon 's doctrine of ' ' spare the rod and spoil the child ' ' was emulated to a
giddy height in the early days of school-keeping. Many an offending child, or a
friend of the offender, was sent out to the old apple tree with instructions to
cut down a stout M^ater sprout for use upon his own back. If the friend went
for the whip, there was something for two youngsters to settle that night on
the way home from school. If he refused to fetch the rod, he too fell under the
ire of the school master. Rulers were thrown at scholars who whispered to their
neighbors in the next seat, and, when they brought the ruler to the commanding
master, he would slap the palms of their hands, or the tips of their fingers bunched
together, until they would sting for hours. Failures in lessons were rewarded by
hand ear-pulls, or by being chased to the foot of the class where, as umpires, they
were compelled to enumerate all errors made by their class mates. An omission
of errors meant some more slaps with the black ruler.
Before the introduction of the Joseph Gillotte Pens, which were made in
England, and sold in this country at two pens for three cents, quills were used for
penmanship. Young teachers usually had the time of their lives until they had
acquired the skill to properly point and split a quill. The large tail feathers of
geese or turkeys made the best quill pens.
Friday afternoon used to be the great time at school. A wide awake teacher
362
THE HISTORY
usually spent most of his time on Friday afternoons in giving exhibitions which
patrons attended in large numbers. The program consisted of singing, essays,
declamations, dialogues, debates and geographical or spelling matches. For a
match two persons, usually a boy for one side and a girl for the other, chose al-
ternately until practically the whole school was divided into two companies and
ready for the fray. The teacher pronounced words which were spelt by pupils on
alternate sides in regular order. If a word was misspelled on one side it was
passed to the other, and then back again, and so on until some one spelt it cor-
rectly. All who erred were out and took their seats. The last one standing won
the match.
The last day of school was a great day in the life of the child of fifty and
more years ago. Recitations were heard until noon, when an iron kettle was
brought and rigged up by the big boys. It was filled with water and the fire
started. The smaller children were sent home. Books, papers, pencils, slates and
ink-bottles were nicely packed together (pupils furnished their own books and
material in those days). "When the water was hot enough the boys carried water
while the girls washed desks, benches, windows, and finally scrubbed the floor,
ending up at the door, which the teacher locked and the fun was over. Boys and
girls who could not be sent home, but were banished from service in the scrubbing
party, put in the afternoon by playing in the school yard and watching the big
boys and girls coquet. A large hogshead was placed into the basement (cellar) of
the Bridge Street School Building, which was kept filled by means of buckets
from the spouting by the boys on rainy days so that when scrubbing periods came
the water was on hand.
The game of ball back in the fifties and sixties was not a scientific contest
between the pitcher and a batter, but rather an all-around sport. The ball was
usually made of a piece of rubber or cork wound over with wool or yarn of a
worn out sock until it was large enough to handle and then a soft leather cover,
cut like an orange rind, sewed over it. If the game was "Corner Ball" four
fellows stood on spots about fifteen or twenty feet apart. The ball was thrown
from one to the other, around the square or diagonally across it. He who failed
to catch or who dropped the ball was obliged to go into the square as a target to be
OP CATASAUQUA 363
thrown at, and another fellow took his place on the corner. If a fellow on the cor-
ner threw at the man in the square and missed him, or if he dropped the ball, he
too had to go into the centre. Thus the game continued until all the players were
in the centre save one. Now he took the ball and ran from corner to corner, the
only spot from which he dared throw the ball, so as to get near some one whom
he might hit by throwing. If he could hit them all and thus discharge every one
from the box or center he had won the game.
" Gickley-over " was another game which was played around some wagon
shed, corn crib, or wood house. The boys would divide, or choose sides, so that
an equal number was on each side of the shed. One of the principals on a side
would start the game by throwing the ball over the roof of the shed and call out
' ' Gickley-over. " If a fellow on the other side of the shed saw and caught it, the
fellow who threw the ball was won over to that side. Then the first man on side
number two threw the ball to side number one calling out the words which mean
' ' watch out it is coming over. " If in this instance no one caught the ball, but it
rolled on the ground, then there was a general scramble for it, and he who got it
ran around the shed either way as far as the corner on the other side and threw
it at the fellows. If he hit one that man also came over. Thus the game con-
tinued and men were won from side to side until at last one or the other side lost
its last man, and the game belonged to the side that had won all the men.
"Long-town" came into vogue a trifle later and was really in a manner a
fore-runner of base ball. Sides were chosen. One set of men were batters and
the other set selected their pitcher and catcher and the rest of the fellows were
fielders. Long-town had only one base which usually was a stone, stump or tree
about twenty-five strides from the batting point. He who batted the ball over the
fence was out. A flying ball caught by some one put a man out. If the ball was
batted over or through the buiich of fielders the batter ran to the goal twenty-five
steps away. If a fellow picked up the ball before the runner reached the tree or
stump, and threw the ball so as to hit the runner then the runner was out ; if he
missed the runner so that the ball flew far away, the runner could touch the tree
and run "home." When all the batters had safely reached the tree, but none
364
THE HISTORY
dared risk to run home, and a last man would bat the ball far over the crowd, then
there was merriment when everybody ran home. In case all the batters reached
the tree so that there was none to bat, pitcher and catcher would throw the ball to
each other a certain number of times in which time somebody must risk and run
safely home else the game is lost.
In the game of "Round-town" were four or five bases, placed in the form
of a square, diamond, or pentagon, and basemen guarded these safety spots. The
ball was thrown to the basemen who touched a runner and he was out. If a
fielder caught a fiy and touched a runner, he put two men out. In Round-town
more than one man was privileged to share safety at the same base; and a whole
bunch was permitted to run bases simultaneously. The bat was a piece of a rail
or clap-board, seldom a whittled paddle.
"In ye good and olden times" loved ones did not understand the art of pre-
paring and laying out a corpse so as to conceal the horror of death and the sting
of its consequent sorrow. When Owen Frederick began to direct funerals in 1848,
it was a common practice, in order to keep a body for a day or two until ar-
rangements for burial could be made, to lay a board on two chairs, cover the
board with fresh clumps of wet sod and then lay the body on the sod, grass up,
and cover it with a sheet. Later the undertaker brought a rectangular box, two
by seven feet and about six inches deep, into which the body was laid and ice
packed around and on it. The water was drained from the box by a small spout
into a bucket that stood on the fioor. Still later the ice-box was coffin-shaped,
about six and a half feet long, thirty inches wide at the shoulder and twenty-
four inches deep. The sight of that box caused many a shudder. The body,
wrapped in a sheet, was laid into the bottom of the box, and a metal tray filled
with cracked ice and resting on catches in the box was placed over it, and a close
fitting lid was shut down tight. A small spout carried the water from this re-
frigerator. The face and hands of the corpse were washed with saltpeter and
water. The process of embalming was put into practice in this community in
1884.
Years ago, pall-bearers at funerals were called grave-makers. Sextons in
OP CATASAUQUA 365,
cemeteries were unknown. "When some one died, four men were sought who were
willing to serve as grave-makers. A day or two before the funeral the grave-
makers filled a "stuetze" with water, cider or some other consoling quencher,
went to the graveyard together and dug and walled-out a grave for the deceased.
Having completed their task by evening they returned to the house of mourning
for a good dinner which neighbor ladies prepared. The neighbors also prepared
meals for mourners who traveled long distances to be present at the funeral.
On occasions when a prominent person died several beef roasts, a whole veal
(calf) and two or three dozen chickens were required to form the base of the
funeral dinner. It is said that Frederick Biery introduced this custom into this
section of the country.
On the day of the funeral the grave-diggers served as pall-bearers, until the
committal was ended. Then they donned their overalls and filled up the grave
with ground. Thus their office was fulfilled.
Mr. Glace relates : William P. Romig was the first physician in Catasauqi;a.
His ofiiee was located on lower Front Street. After a practice of some ten years
he was succeeded by Dr. F. B. Martin, who admitted Dr. Yoder as partner in
1858. In 1868, Dr. Martin died and Dr. Yoder succeeded him.
Alonzo W. Kinsey, an Englishman, was the first chemist at the furnaces.
Kinsey was a scholarly man and manifested a great skill as an experimenter
and lecturer. He astonished his friends by washing his hands in a certain solu-
tion and then into molten iron which he splashed about him with his hands unin-
jured. At the request of Capt. Bill Jones, he went to the Carnegie Works, where
he married a second time, the mother of the wife of Charles Schwab, now of the
Bethlehem Steel Company. He died a few years since at an advanced age.
The first machinist was George Jenkins. He was foreman in the Crane shops.
Later he accepted a position as Superintendent of the Boonton Iron Works in
New Jersey, where some of his descendants are still living.
Uriah Brunner was the pioneer druggist and newspaper man in town. He
titled his paper "The Rising Star of Catasauqua." He moved to West Point,
Nebraska, where he became a State Senator of that State.
366 THE HISTORY
John Swartz, a brother of the late B. Prank Swartz, was the first pho-
tographer in town. Pictures were then taken on glass and were called daguerreo-
types. Mr. Swartz died in 1852.
The first barber was Samuel Romig who died early in the fifties. James W.
Fuller, 1st, induced William E. Welsh, a colored barber, to come to Catasauqua
where he conducted a shop for many years. A son of Mr. Welsh now conducts a
shop at Coplay.
Joseph Troxell mended shoes and had a small store on Front Street where
Kemp's Clothing Store is now located. His son, Alfred M. Troxell, is in the
business at Front and Chapel Streets.
The first stone mason was Charles Breisch, who assisted in the erection of
the first furnace. One son and a number of grandsons are still in town.
Nathan Fegely, formerly of Mauch Chunk, conducted the first lumber yard
on Church Street, the present site of the Town Hall. His yard ran to Middle
Alley and Front Street, which accounts for the right angle in Railroad Street in
the rear of Lawall's Drug Store.
The David Tombler brick yard was located at Howertown Avenue and Wood
Street. Later it was moved to the Third Ward where it was abandoned. Neighly
Brothers made brick on Howertown Avenue near the Hunter farm. The Kurtzes
ran a brick yard in the Third Ward, M'hich became the property of Franklin
Goldsmith who closed out the business over a year ago.
The Union Foundry on Front and Pine Streets was opened by John Fritz
and his brothers at the close of the forties. His brother-in-law, Isaac Chandler,
ran a black-smith shop on Front and Bridge Streets, the site of the Crane loco-
motive house. After a brief tenure they all went to Johnstown, Pa.
Mr. Glace remembers the first rocking chair brought to Biery's-Port in 1847.
Two men brought it on a boat from Bethlehem. Many people came to see and
try the great curiosity.
The first carriage was brought hither from Bath, Pa., in 1849, by John
Boyer, father of our townsman, Eugene J. Boyer. This was also a curiosity.
OP CATASAUQUA 367
A young man by the name of John Thomas, a relative of the Superintendent,
fell from the top of the first furnace, soon after its completion, and his body was
buried in the rear of the Presbyterian Church on Fifth Street in Allentown. He
was borne on a bier on the shoulders of relays of fellow employees, who wore high
hats draped with long streamers of crepe as was the custom in Wales in those
days. A long procession of men and women, among whom were "Mother
Thomas" and Mrs. Lackey, followed the cortege on foot to the grave. After the
completion of the Thomas vault by David Thomas the body was deposited in it.
It will be interesting to locate some of the old buildings of Town :
THE STONE BARN, still a part of the Francis J. Deily estate, and erected
about 1760, stands north east of the Wahnetah Silk Mill.
THE GEORGE TAYLOR RESIDENCE, which is the farm-house belonging
to the barn just mentioned, was erected in 1768. Three iron plates bearing the
inscription "G. T. 1768" were found in the open fire-places and kitchen of the
building. The large plate in the kitchen was removed and presented by the Deily
heirs to the Historical Society of Lehigh County, in 1910.
THE BIERY FARM-HOUSE, at Second and Race Streets, now the house of
August Hohl, was erected about 1800.
THE BiERY HOTEL, on Race Street, in the rear of the American Hotel,
was erected in 1826, and is now the property of George Deily.
THE BIERY HOME, now owned by Frank B. Mauser, on the corner of
Race and Canal Streets, was erected in 1830.
THE BIERY STONE-HOUSE, used for many years as a store, at the
Canal bridge on Race Street, was erected in 1835. It is now the property and
residence of George B. F. Deily, and the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Peter J.
Laubach.
THE THOMAS HOME is the large frame dwelling opposite the furnaces
on Front Street, erected by the Company during the fall of 1839. The stone
building on the front lawn was the ice house used by Mr. Thomas.
368 THE HISTORY
THE KURTZ FARM-HOUSE, east of the Rubber Works, was erected about
1800 and is now owned by John Yeager.
THE FREDERICK MANSION was so named after George Frederick who
owned it for many years. It stood on the West Side, a few rods south of the Her-
cules Metal Works. It was one of the oldest houses in the Lehigh Valley, having
been erected in 1757. When the Lehigh Valley R. R. was built, this house was
sold to Asa Packer. It was also known for years as "The Fort" because it was
used as a place of refuge from the Indians.
OP CATASAUQUA
369
CHAPTER XII
BOROUGH OFFICIALS, OLD HOME WEEK PROGRAM AND VIEWS
BOROUGH OFFICIALS.
Dr. C. J. Keiin, Chief Burgess.
Francis G. Lewis, Solicitor.
Lewis J. H. Grossart, Engineer.
Daniel Gillespie, Overseer Water Dept.
William McNabb, Receiver of Taxes.
James H. Harte, Street Commissioner.
Henry Zeaser, Fire Marshal.
C. E. Scheckler, Sr., Chief of Police.
Andrew Smith, Alvin Roth, Patrolmen.
TOWN COUNCIL.
Rufus W. G. Wint, President.
Reuben C. Weaver, Secretary.
Ralph C. Boyer, Treasurer.
COUNCILMEN.
C. D. W. Bower.
Robert G. Dougherty.
Samuel P. Gemmel.
Joseph M. Kane.
Samuel Mitchell.
Oscar H. Schugar.
Harry B. Smith.
Harvey W. Snyder.
Robert H. Steinmetz.
Howard V. Swartz.
William H. Wentz.
Rufus W. G. Wint.
?70
THE HISTORY
BURGESSES.
Names and Years Served.
David Thomas, 1853.
John Boyer, 1854.
Uriah Brunner, 1855.
David Thomas, 1856-57.
William Goetz, 1858-59.
A, C. Lewis, 1860.
John Williams, 1861-69.
James C. Beitel, 1870-71.
John Williams, 1872-73.
M. H. Horn, 1874.
George Bower, 1875.
William H. Glace, 1876.
F. W. Wint, 1877.
Henry Davis, 1878-80.
Philip Storm, 1881-84.
Robert E. Williams, 1885-87.
John W. Hopkins, 1888-89.
Thomas Jones, 1890-91.
W. A. Borger, 1892-93.
Charles R. Horn, 1894-96.
C. D. W. Bower, 1897-99.
Rufus M. Wint, 1900-02.
Henry W. Stolz, 1903-05.
C. J. Keim, M. D., 1906-09.
H. H. Riegel, M. D., 1909-14.
C. J. Keim, M. D., 1914-18.
CENSUS — The population of the Borough, according to the United States
enumeration, since its incorporation, has been as follows :
1860
1870
1880
1932
1890
2853
1900
3065
1910
.3704
.3963
.5250
Of CATASAUQUa
371
OFFICERS OF THE OLD HOME WEEK ASSOCIATION
President,
Leonard Peckitt.
Secretaries,
Harry H. Aubrey,
Daniel B. Quinn.
Treasurer,
James S. Stillman.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
J. S. Elverson, Chairman Finance Committee.
William H. Glace, Esq., Chairman Historical Committee.
Rev. David R. Griffith, Chairman Memorial Committee.
Capt. Joseph Matchette, Chairman Parade and Music Committee.
Edmund Randall, Chairman Publicity Committee.
Albert B. Lee, Chairman Fireworks Committee.
Thomas Deemer, Chairman Decoration Committee.
John L. Schick, Chairman Entertainment Committee.
Harry B. Weaver, Chairman Educational Committee.
Wilson Scott, Chairman Concessions Committee.
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE.
Edmund Randall, Chairman.
Harry H. Aubrey, Secretary.
Reuben C. Weaver.
Eugene T. Quinn.
William T. Scanlin.
John S. Matchette.
Daniel B. Quinn.
372 TJIE IIISTOKY
PROGRAM
SUNDAY, JUNE 28TI].
Religious Day.
Special Thanksgiving and Commeuioratory Services in all Cluirches. Re-
ceptions to former pastors.
MONDAY, JUNE 29TII.
Reception Day.
General rennibn of families and Social and Fraternal societies.
Btind concert in the evening at 8.45 o'clock. Concert by the Catasauqua
Choral Society on St. Paul's Lawn, at 7.45 P. M. Address by Dr. John A. W.
Haas, President of Muhlenberg College, Allentown, on a Civic topic.
TUESDAY, JUNE 30TII.
^ Educational Day.
Parade of Public and Parochial School children and Alumni 4 P. M.
Reunion of the Alumni Association of tlie Catasauqua High School and Con-
cert by Bethlehem Steel Co. Band in High School Auditorium 8 P. M. Band
concert in the evening.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST.
Sport Day.
Registered shoot by Bryden Gun Club. Many of the most prominent marks-
men in America will participate in the events. Extra attraction, the Topper-
weins, the foremost shooters in the United States to-day. Fancy shooting by
Mrs. Topperwein.
Athletic Tournament, 3.30 to 6 P. M.
op CATASAUQUA 373
THURSDAY, JULY 2ND.
Fraternal Day.
Grand parade of all Fraternal, Patriotic and Social Organizations.
Grand display of fire works in the evening. Band concert.
FRIDAY, JULY 3RIX
Firemen's Day.
Parade of ('a1iisaiK|iia ;ind North Catasjuuiiui, Fire Dcpartiiients juid inviled
guests.
Band concert in the evening.
SATURDAY, JULY 4TH.
Historical Day.
Grand historical, patriotic iind civic pageant.
l\Lagnificent display oi' fiivworks in the evening. I'jind concert.
* * * * * * *
The series of pictures of some fine buildings and beautiful scenes of Cata-
sauqua, here appended, were printed from cuts loaned the Editors through the
complaisant liberality of the firm of Geo. V. Millar and Company of Seranton,
Pa., and the earnest mediation of Messrs. A. J. Etheredge and Company of (!iita-
sauqua.
OP TATASATIQUA
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THE HISTORY
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